Background
Jay was born Eugene Stephen Jay in Tampa, Florida on January 26, 1951.
Jay was born Eugene Stephen Jay in Tampa, Florida on January 26, 1951.
He auditioned for after answering an ad in the newspaper, and the two have worked together ever since. Jay can be heard or seen on all of Yankovic"s albums, videos, and concerts. He has scored more than fifty nationally broadcast Public Broadcasting Service specials and series episodes, including three George Foster Peabody Award winners, and contributed to several feature films.
He has also done extensive session work, released eight solo records on his own Ayarou label, and produced two albums for the Western Economic Association, USA Nonesuch Explorer series.
Jay"s background includes a Bachelor and Military Medal Graduate Fellowship in composition from the University of South Florida in 1972. After completing his studies, he went to Niger and spent two and half years studying drumming.
Selections from his archival field recordings of traditional West African ceremonies, dances, and solo performances were made into three albums released by Warner/Nonesuch.
