Jayson King (Phil Gariepy)

Jayson King was the professional name of Phil Gariepy, a Toronto rock, blues and rhythm-and-blues singer active from the early 1960s into at least the early 1980s.

King came to wider attention in 1964, when he was managed and promoted by Walt Grealis, who was then working to establish a stronger Canadian recording industry. At the time, King was 23 years old and employed as a shipper at a Toronto beauty-supply company. A contemporary profile described him as a powerful singer with a vocal style reminiscent of Ray Charles.

His only presently documented solo single paired the standard ‘Heartaches’ with ‘Bamboo Man’. The recording was produced by American hitmaker Bob Crewe, with arrangements and conducting by Charles Calello. It was initially issued in Canada on Tamarac Records and subsequently released in the United States on Bell Records.

The record attracted airplay in Toronto, Ottawa and Peterborough, while American industry reports noted early interest in Miami. Although it did not become a national chart hit, it brought King considerable visibility within Toronto’s rapidly developing rock and rhythm-and-blues scene.

King became a familiar live performer and appeared on bills with many prominent Canadian acts of the period. In April 1965, he was included among the supporting performers for the Rolling Stones at Maple Leaf Gardens. He was also represented by the Can-Tal Agency and appeared in concert and television-related showcases alongside artists including the Big Town Boys, Dee and the Yeomen, Shirley Matthews, the Allan Sisters, Robbie Lane and the Liverpool Set.

King continued performing long after his sole known single. On September 25, 1982, he appeared as a special guest with George Olliver and Gangbuster at Toronto’s Club Bluenote, performing ‘Fannie Mae’ and ‘Stand by Me’. Both performances were released in 1983 on Live at the Bluenote (Volume 1).

Although his recorded catalogue is small, Jayson King’s appearances across nearly two decades place him among the first generation of Toronto singers who helped establish the city’s rock, soul and rhythm-and-blues performance circuit.

-Robert Williston