Captain Jack

Captain Jack was formed in Darmstadt in 1995 as a Eurodance project by producer Udo Niebergall. The original line-up included Sharky Durban (rap) and Liza da Costa (vocals). From December 1995, Franky Gee (born Francisco Alejandro Gutierrez, 1962 Cuba - † October 22, 2005 Mannheim) replaced Sharky Durban and from then on also shaped the band's stage image. Since 1999, singers such as Maloy Lozanes, Illi Love (Ilka Anna Antonia Traue), Sunny (Sabine Répás), Jamie Lee (Nadja Biereth), Laura Martin (Laura Pozo Martin) and Michelle Stanley have joined the project. Bruce Lacy (rap/vocals) has represented the band since 2008 and Ilka Anna Antonia Traue (Illi) since 2020. The band plays Eurodance with dance, pop and rock elements. The debut album The Mission is released on March 25, 1996, reaching number 11 in the German charts, gold certification in Finland, platinum in Germany and Poland. This was followed by Operation Dance (March 26, 1997, number 47 DE, gold in Finland) and then The Captain's Revenge (July 19, 1999), Top Secret (October 8, 2001), Party Warriors (February 24, 2003), Cafe Cubar (September 1, 2003), Music Instructor (November 1, 2004), Captain Jack Is Back (November 21, 2008) and Back to the Dancefloor (April 22, 2011). The best-known singles include: "Captain Jack" (July 1995, number 3 DE, platinum DE, gold NL/NO, Echo Award nomination 1997), "Drill Instructor" (1996, number 4 DE), "Soldier, Soldier" (May 1996, number 11 DE, top 3 NL) and "Little Boy" (September 1996, number 27 DE). Hits such as "In the Army Now", "Iko Iko" and "Give It Up" followed later . More recent releases include "Sunny Side of Life" with Loona and "Turkish Bazar" (2008). Franky Gee died on October 22, 2005 in Mannheim.