ellis hooks was born 28 years ago in Mobile, Alabama to a full Cherokee mother and a father of African American descent. The third youngest of 16 children, he didn’t have a pair of shoes until he was eight, and didn’t know the meaning of fun. "We weren’t allowed to play after school or on Saturdays because we’d be picking peas for the white folks," Ellis explains, "and we’d spend all day Sunday in church." His Baptist family had nothing but disdain for blues and rock music, so when the young Ellis heard the radio and lost interest in leading the church choir he was thrown out of his household at age fourteen.

Hitch-hiking his way across the United States, he finally landed in New York four years later after learning a variety of odd jobs. Supporting himself by singing in the streets, Ellis was approached by Diana Ross one day. "I was singing in Central Park and she came walking by in a yellow dress and told me she loved my voice and wanted to put me in the studio. She set up time for me at the Power Station but I wasn’t ready, I didn’t have any of my own songs. I was so freaked out I never showed up. I was too young." Ellis travelled the world singing in public places, living for awhile in Paris and Amsterdam, but eventually settled back in New York when he was twenty-five. He tried putting bands together, but never found the right people to play with him. "I was ready to give up," Ellis offers, "I had sung in front of so many people and never had a record out, I figured it just wasn’t going to happen for me." Then quite by accident, a female friend of his dragged him along to meet with producer Jon Tiven who had produced Wilson Pickett’s comeback album 'It’s Harder Now' which won three W.C. Handy Awards and was nominated for a Grammy. Tiven liked what he heard and over the next six months worked with Ellis to produce his debut album 'undeniable'. With Ellis are drummers Omar Hakin, Simon Kirke, (Free) Anton Fig and Martin Ditcham, (Sade) along with Tiven and wife Sally (on guitar and bass respectively), Mason Casey (harp), and Marvin Floyd (piano).

So what have we here? Definitely a voice full of soul, a soundtrack to a period in the life of Ellis Hooks, some hurt, but also joys. All of the music has the indelible stamp of a totally unique vocalist/songwriter the likes of which doesn't come around too often. "I just want to make music that moves people," Ellis explains, "and I just sing what I feel. If you want to categorise it, you can but I don't. I just do it, that's all! " Ellis embodies all of the finest aspects of Southern musical traditions and shows his roots like a lazy bottled blonde. Otis and Sam are his idols and he's proud of it … but most importantly he is himself 100% Ellis.

undeniable is the debut album from ellis hooks released on 9th September 2002 on
ZANE RECORDS, ZNCD 1018 - distributed in the U.K by PINNACLE.
For further Info contact: Peter or Diana at Zane Records
Tel 0118 957 4567 Fax 0118 956 1261

ellisinfo@zanerecords.com