J.D. Fortune
Encyclopedia
J.D. Fortune is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter. He was the winner of the 2005 CBS
reality television series Rock Star: INXS
, and fronted INXS
until August 2011.
, Ontario
and raised in Salt Springs
, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. J.D. grew up listening to his grandfather sing and started performing at a very young age. He attended Cawthra Park Secondary School and West Pictou Consolidated School but dropped out before graduating after being offered a job on a television show. Bennison is his estranged father’s name, and Fortune is his mother’s maiden name. He has a sister, Sarah-Jane, and a pug
named "Presley" (after Elvis Presley).
's Skydome
in front of 50,000 people. He also worked as an entertainer and pop songwriter for an Ontario
TV show, an Elvis Presley
impersonator and he fronted a band named JUICe, which recorded an album named In Retrospect.
TV show, Rock Star: INXS
. On September 20, 2005, after an eleven week audition process televised on CBS Rock Star : INXS, Fortune was told "You are right for our band INXS" by Tim Farriss of INXS.
INXS, with Fortune, released their album Switch
in November 2005. Three singles from the album were released over the next twelve months including the track 'Pretty Vegas' which was co-written by Fortune and INXS's Andrew Farris, amongst others. The week of February 25, 2006, Pretty Vegas' reached its highest charting at #7 on billboard.com.
On February 16, 2009, J.D. revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada that INXS fired him from the band with a shake of the hand at an airport in Hong Kong. Fortune admitted to heavy cocaine use during the latest INXS tour and he acknowledged that his drug habit had likely contributed to INXS' decision. Fortune stated he had been off cocaine for the past 2 years and, at the time, he was living out of his car and had put all his remaining money into his solo album "The Death of a Motivational Speaker". Former INXS manager and now record company head Chris Murphy responded at the time by saying that Fortune had never been fired by the band, but that the band was reluctant to continue working with him because of his allegations.
In 2010, Fortune performed with INXS several times. On February 24, 2010, Fortune performed with INXS at the Vancouver Olympics in a sold out performance.
On July 10, 2010, INXS, fronted by Fortune, performed at an outdoor concert for an estimated 13,000 people at the Sucrogen Townsville 400 in Townsville, Australia.
On July 16, 2010, JD fronted INXS at an outdoor concert at the Mangrove Resort in Broome, Western Australia
. On September 1, 2010, Fortune performed with INXS before 17,000 attendees of VMware
's 2010 VMWorld
at the Moscone Center
, San Francisco. On September 25, 2010, INXS and Fortune headlined the pre-match entertainment at the AFL Grand Final Event in Melbourne Australia.
During a radio interview prior to the performance in Broome, Kirk Pengilly confirmed that Fortune is a permanent member of INXS.
On September 29, 2010 INXS announced an Australian tour for early 2011. The tour, with JD Fortune, included eight performances across Australia from January 25, 2011 – February 12, 2011. This was followed by three performances in South America: Buenos Aires Argentina, Santiago Chile and Iquique Chile in February 2011.
JD Fortune & INXS returned to Canada for a performance at the Sound Academy in Toronto Ontario on March 2, 2011.
On October 19, 2010 INXS released the single "The Stairs," featuring JD Fortune (the original version of "The Stairs" had appeared on INXS' 1990 album, X
) on iTunes Canada. This tune was followed by the November 2010 release of an album of primarily previously released songs as performed by a number of artists. The album, Original Sin, was released in Australia and Canada. A bonus track, "Love Is" with J.D. Fortune was released in Australia through iTunes. In an October 2010 interview with JD Fortune and Jon Farriss, they noted they had been playing as a band and were going to play as a band.
In 2011, INXS with J.D. Fortune completed shows in Australia, England, Portugal, South America, Canada and The United States of America. In September 2011, J.D. Fortune and INXS announced that they had mutually agreed to go their own separate ways and pursue different artistic projects.
In September 2011 J.D. Fortune announced that he was developing several projects as a solo artist that were on hold until he had completed his obligations with the INXS tour.
after shooting the video clip for INXS's single Afterglow. Fortune is a vegetarian.
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
reality television series Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star: INXS is the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
, and fronted INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
until August 2011.
Early life
Jason Dean Bennison, now known as J.D. Fortune, was born in MississaugaMississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and raised in Salt Springs
Salt Springs, Nova Scotia
Salt Springs is a small Canadian rural community located in the central-western part of Pictou County, Nova Scotia.-Geography:The community shares a valley with the upper reaches of the West River , with the surrounding mountains being the eastern extension of the Cobequid Hills...
, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. J.D. grew up listening to his grandfather sing and started performing at a very young age. He attended Cawthra Park Secondary School and West Pictou Consolidated School but dropped out before graduating after being offered a job on a television show. Bennison is his estranged father’s name, and Fortune is his mother’s maiden name. He has a sister, Sarah-Jane, and a pug
Pug
The pug is a "toy" breed of dog with a wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed has a fine, glossy coat that comes in a variety of colors, and a compact square body with well-developed muscle. They have been described as multum in parvo , referring to the pug's personality and...
named "Presley" (after Elvis Presley).
Early music career
After several years in and out of the music world, he finally began to strike gold as an original musician. Fortune performed at the Friendship Festival and at TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Skydome
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in front of 50,000 people. He also worked as an entertainer and pop songwriter for an Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
TV show, an Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
impersonator and he fronted a band named JUICe, which recorded an album named In Retrospect.
Rockstar INXS/INXS
Fortune was living in his car, under a bridge, when he applied for and was selected as a contestant on CBS'sCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
TV show, Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star: INXS
Rock Star: INXS is the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
. On September 20, 2005, after an eleven week audition process televised on CBS Rock Star : INXS, Fortune was told "You are right for our band INXS" by Tim Farriss of INXS.
INXS, with Fortune, released their album Switch
Switch (INXS album)
Switch is the eleventh studio album by the Australian rock band INXS. It was released on 29 November 2005. It is notable for being the first album with new lead singer J.D. Fortune since the 1997 death of Michael Hutchence.-Background:...
in November 2005. Three singles from the album were released over the next twelve months including the track 'Pretty Vegas' which was co-written by Fortune and INXS's Andrew Farris, amongst others. The week of February 25, 2006, Pretty Vegas' reached its highest charting at #7 on billboard.com.
On February 16, 2009, J.D. revealed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight Canada that INXS fired him from the band with a shake of the hand at an airport in Hong Kong. Fortune admitted to heavy cocaine use during the latest INXS tour and he acknowledged that his drug habit had likely contributed to INXS' decision. Fortune stated he had been off cocaine for the past 2 years and, at the time, he was living out of his car and had put all his remaining money into his solo album "The Death of a Motivational Speaker". Former INXS manager and now record company head Chris Murphy responded at the time by saying that Fortune had never been fired by the band, but that the band was reluctant to continue working with him because of his allegations.
In 2010, Fortune performed with INXS several times. On February 24, 2010, Fortune performed with INXS at the Vancouver Olympics in a sold out performance.
On July 10, 2010, INXS, fronted by Fortune, performed at an outdoor concert for an estimated 13,000 people at the Sucrogen Townsville 400 in Townsville, Australia.
On July 16, 2010, JD fronted INXS at an outdoor concert at the Mangrove Resort in Broome, Western Australia
Broome, Western Australia
Broome is a pearling and tourist town in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, north of Perth. The year round population is approximately 14,436, growing to more than 45,000 per month during the tourist season...
. On September 1, 2010, Fortune performed with INXS before 17,000 attendees of VMware
VMware
VMware, Inc. is a company providing virtualization software founded in 1998 and based in Palo Alto, California, USA. The company was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2004, and operates as a separate software subsidiary ....
's 2010 VMWorld
VMworld
VMworld is an annual conference for IT professionals, focusing on virtual server environments, put on by VMware. It is the largest virtualization-specific event. It has been held in San Diego, California in 2004; Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005, 2008, and 2011; Los Angeles, California in 2006; and San...
at the Moscone Center
Moscone Center
Moscone Center is the largest convention and exhibition complex in San Francisco, California. It comprises three main halls: Two underground halls underneath Yerba Buena Gardens, known as Moscone North and Moscone South, and a three-level Moscone West exhibition hall across 4th Street...
, San Francisco. On September 25, 2010, INXS and Fortune headlined the pre-match entertainment at the AFL Grand Final Event in Melbourne Australia.
During a radio interview prior to the performance in Broome, Kirk Pengilly confirmed that Fortune is a permanent member of INXS.
On September 29, 2010 INXS announced an Australian tour for early 2011. The tour, with JD Fortune, included eight performances across Australia from January 25, 2011 – February 12, 2011. This was followed by three performances in South America: Buenos Aires Argentina, Santiago Chile and Iquique Chile in February 2011.
JD Fortune & INXS returned to Canada for a performance at the Sound Academy in Toronto Ontario on March 2, 2011.
On October 19, 2010 INXS released the single "The Stairs," featuring JD Fortune (the original version of "The Stairs" had appeared on INXS' 1990 album, X
X (INXS album)
X is Australian rock band INXS's seventh studio album, released in 1990. It peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 5 in the United States, No. 2 in the United Kingdom, No. 5 in Switzerland and No. 10 in Sweden. The album contains four hit singles, "Suicide Blonde", "Disappear",...
) on iTunes Canada. This tune was followed by the November 2010 release of an album of primarily previously released songs as performed by a number of artists. The album, Original Sin, was released in Australia and Canada. A bonus track, "Love Is" with J.D. Fortune was released in Australia through iTunes. In an October 2010 interview with JD Fortune and Jon Farriss, they noted they had been playing as a band and were going to play as a band.
In 2011, INXS with J.D. Fortune completed shows in Australia, England, Portugal, South America, Canada and The United States of America. In September 2011, J.D. Fortune and INXS announced that they had mutually agreed to go their own separate ways and pursue different artistic projects.
Solo music
In March 2010, Fortune announced that a previously unreleased solo work, entitled "One More Day," would be used in CBS television on-air campaign for a new television series, Miami Medical. The series, created by Jerry Bruckheimer, aired on April 2, 2010. "One More Day" is a previously unreleased track from a new CD that is being worked on.In September 2011 J.D. Fortune announced that he was developing several projects as a solo artist that were on hold until he had completed his obligations with the INXS tour.
Personal life
He had a brief relationship with Estella WarrenEstella Warren
Estella Dawn Warren is a Canadian actress, former fashion model, and a former synchronized swimmer. Her swimming career includes time on the National Canadian Team including 3 national titles. Her work in modeling is known through publications such as Sports Illustrated as well as working for...
after shooting the video clip for INXS's single Afterglow. Fortune is a vegetarian.