Janet Kay

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Janet Kay Bogle MBE (born 17 January 1958 in Willesden, London) is an English singer and actress best known for her 1979 lovers rock hit "Silly Games."

She was discovered singing at a rehearsal studio by Tony "Gad" Robinson, who introduced her to Alton Ellis in London. In 1978 she released "I Do Love You" and "That's What Friends Are For." "Silly Games," written and produced by Dennis Bovell, became a Europe-wide hit and reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart, which led to an appearance on Top of the Pops. She played the character Angel in the Channel 4 sitcom No Problem! (1983–85) and had a club hit with "Eternally Grateful" in 1984.

In 2003, Sony Japan released her seventh album, Lovin' You … More, and included another version of "Lovin' You" produced by Omar due to its popularity in Japan. The original "Silly Games" was re-recorded in 1990 as Lindy Layton featuring Janet Kay (No. 22 UK), and a remix reached No. 62. Kay also produced "Missing You" for Aswad. She helped found BiBi Crew, Britain’s first theatre troupe made up entirely of Black women. She was named one of the 100 Great Black Britons in 2003. In 2022, The Guardian named "Silly Games" runner-up among the 70 best number-two singles to mark the UK Singles Chart’s 70th anniversary. She was appointed MBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to music.