Jay Fortier

Manistee, Michigan native Jay Fortier began his career in the 1960s singing and playing banjo with folk music trio The Coachmen. Discovering Rock N’ Roll, Fortier switched to guitar and soon founded The Magnatones. The group kept busy gigging locally. However, the young Rock band went through several name and personnel changes to ultimately become the hugely popular regional outfit Band X. By this time the multi-talented Fortier had switched to bass guitar. Band X continued to record and gig around their native Michigan for almost a decade and received steady radio airplay for their regional hit “How Good The Rain.” Then came more personnel changes and a new name morphing Band X into North Country. Sadly, after a year, North Country fizzled. However, Jay continued to write, record, and play in a variety of bands and recording projects and Jay was inducted to the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame with Band X. In addition to the incredible 1960s recordings of Band X, Fervor Records is proud to be home to some of Jay Fortier’s brilliant solo Country recordings from the 1980s.