Erroll Starr
Canadian rhythm and blues singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Erroll Starr Francis is a Canadian rhythm and blues singer.[1] He is most noted for winning the Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year in 1989 for his single "Angel".[2]
Erroll Starr | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jamaica |
| Genres | Rhythm and Blues, Reggae, and Country |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Labels | A&M Records (1986–87), Asoma Records (1994) |
Early life
Originally from Jamaica,[1] Starr's family emigrated to the United Kingdom when he was two years old, after which they moved to Canada and settled in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.[3] Starr began his musical journey when his father bought him his first guitar. He then began playing as a guitarist in his father's band. As a teenager, he obtained special permission from the LCBO to play as a minor in bars and clubs.[4] His father was a reggae musician with the band People's Choice.[5]
Musical career
Starr built his early music career in Toronto, where concurrently with performing as an R&B singer he was also the front man of the rock band Harbinger.[1]
He released the singles "Holding Out for You", "The Key" and "For the Love of Money" in 1986 and 1987, before releasing his debut album Temple of Love on A&M Records in 1987.[6] In 1987, he also participated in the recording of a Christmas charity single, "A Christmas Wish", with a lineup of Toronto-area performers that also included Billy Newton-Davis, Kim Richardson, Frozen Ghost, Prairie Oyster, Messenjah, The Pursuit of Happiness, Salome Bey, Zappacosta, Arlene Duncan and Lorraine Scott.[7]
He received his first Juno Award nomination in 1986 for "The Key",[8] which was his highest charting single peaking at #57 in RPM Weekly,[9] and his second in 1987 for "For the Love of Money".[10] He also won the award for Best Male Artist at the Black Music Association of Canada awards in 1987.[11] However, he was one of a number of Black Canadian musicians who faced heavy resistance from Canadian radio programmers in this era,[5] and A&M did not renew his contract for another album.
In the early 1990s he moved to Hamilton, working as a record producer and recording music for film, television and commercials.[1] During this era he formed a country music duo, North Starr, with colleague Mike Northcott, and released his second album, From the Inside Out, on the independent label Asoma Records in 1994.[1]
He has continued to perform occasional live appearances at public events.[12]
In 2024, Starr told his story in the Digital Sabbath Film Company short film, Temple of Love: The Errol Starr Story
Starr had also joined the Canadian rock group TRIBZ in 2021, which released its self-titled independently released album in 2024[13] followed by two singles, "Long Black Cadillac" and "Save The World" in 2025.[14]
Personal life
In the early 2000s, he and his family moved to Killaloe, where they built an environmentally sustainable off-the-grid home in the Earthship style.[15]
His niece, Tasha Schumann, is a rapper who performs under the stage name Tasha the Amazon.[16]