Born on September 26, 1988, James Blake Litherland is a talented English musician, known for his soulful voice and skillful songwriting. He initially made a name for himself in 2010 with the release of three EPs: The Bells Sketch, CMYK, and Klavierwerke. His self-titled debut album, released in 2011 through A&M Records, garnered widespread critical acclaim and achieved commercial success, reaching the top ten on the UK Albums Chart.
Profile Summary
| Full Name: | James Blake Litherland |
| Date Of Birth: | September 26, 1988 |
| Place Of Birth: | Enfield, London, England |
| Nationality: | British |
| Occupation(s): | Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer |
| Labels: | 1-1800 Dinosaur, R&S, A&M, Universal Republic |
| Net Worth: | $8 Million |
Early Life And Education
James Blake was born to musician James Litherland and Helen Litherland, and demonstrated a natural talent for music from an early age. He began classical piano training as a child and attended Grange Park Primary School and The Latymer School for his primary and secondary education. Blake further pursued his passion for music at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he earned a degree in Popular Music. During his university years, he co-founded the “Bass Society” series, a platform that showcased emerging UK artists like Distance, Skream, and Benga, alongside his friends
career
James Blake launched his music career in 2009 with his debut record “Air & Lack Thereof”, gaining BBC Radio 1 attention. He released EPs “Klavierwerke” and “CMYK”, with the latter’s title track becoming a Record of the Week. His cover of Feist’s “Limit to Your Love” peaked at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart.
Blake won awards and nominations, including BBC’s Sound of 2011 and BRIT Awards’ “Critic’s Choice”. He released his debut album in 2011, collaborated with Bon Iver, and explored an R&B-influenced sound in subsequent EPs.
In 2012, James Blake collaborated with Kanye West, Justin Vernon, and Trim, and started the 1-800 Dinosaur collective. His second album, Overgrown (2013), won the Mercury Prize and featured Brian Eno and RZA. Blake announced his third album, Radio Silence, in 2014, with collaborations from Bon Iver and Kanye West.
He premiered new songs on BBC Radio 1 and finished the album with Rick Rubin. In 2018, Blake collaborated on the Grammy-winning “King’s Dead” and released solo singles, pushing back against the “sad boy music” label. James Blake also contributed to Oneohtrix Point Never’s album Age Of and collaborated with Travis Scott on “Stop Trying to Be God” for Astroworld the same year.
He announced a 2019 North America tour, with ticket holders receiving a copy of his upcoming album. Blake also previewed new music with André 3000 in Brooklyn, following their earlier collaboration on “Look Ma No Hands”.
James Blake released his fifth album, Friends That Break Your Heart, in 2021, followed by the ambient album Wind Down in 2022. He collaborated with various hip-hop artists in 2023 and released his sixth album, Playing Robots Into Heaven, which marked a return to his electronic roots.
In 2024, Blake left Polydor Records and founded CMYK Group, releasing the single “Thrown Around” and the EP “CMYK 002”, as well as a collaborative album with Lil Yachty, Bad Cameo.
Personal Life
James Blake has been in a relationship with British actress Jameela Jamil since 2015, following a previous relationship with American musician Theresa Wayman.
James Blake Net Worth
James Blake’s net worth is estimated to be around $8 million, accumulated from his successful career as an electronic music producer, singer-songwriter, and musician.