Norman Jay: ‘Music without prejudice became the mainstay of Notting Hill Carnival’

‘I loved 1960s Northern Soul, the sound of Motown, Philadelphia, Stax, the James Brown era of funk, which morphed into mid to late 1970s disco, into electro, into hip-hop, and then latterly house music, drum and bass and reggae… I’ve been into everything’

So says Jay, somewhat understatedly. That homemade sound system he wheeled onto the streets of Notting Hill would grow into the Good Times Fun Bus, a much-loved fixture of Carnival throughout subsequent decades. And beyond the streets of Notting Hill Jay continued to push musical boundaries as a co-founder of KISS FM, in the station’s early pirate radio days, and a driving force behind the rare groove scene of the 1990s.

Speaking in our Royal Festival Hall, ahead of bringing his Good Times Band to the venue in March 2024, Jay also spoke of the importance of music to break down boundaries and welcome people without prejudice, and the importance of preserving Black musical history for future generations to enjoy.

‘Black history is still present in all forms of music. All the pop music that you like, the people who made those records inadvertently have been inspired by the greats of Black music.’

Norman Jay MBE