Jay Gilday is an indigenous folk musician from Canada.
Jay Gilday | |
|---|---|
| Born | Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada |
| Genres | Folk music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instrument(s) |
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Jay Gilday was born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, and spent his youth there. He is a member of the Dene Nation through his mother, with his father being of Irish heritage.[1] He is the brother of singer-songwriter Leela Gilday.[2] After high school, he attended the University of Alberta, where he spent much time as a busker in Edmonton's LRT system.[1] He was later featured in an episode of the television series Dene: A Journey that filmed his return to the Dene Nation later in life.[3]
Gilday performs both with an eponymous eight-piece rock band[4] and as a solo artist.[1] In 2017, he was a recipient of a Western Canadian Music Award for his album Faster than Light, being named Indigenous Artist of the Year.[4]
Gilday's first album, All That I Can Give for Now, was released in 2008. In 2016, he followed up with Faster Than Light. In 2019, Gilday released The Choice and the Chase, his third album.[1]
Gilday is the father of four children.[5]