A naturally gifted musician he first joined the band as a backing vocalist though later in the bands career JJ progressed seamlessly to join Jimme O’Neill sharing lead vocals.

Seven action-packed years of gigging and recording ensued during which The Silencers had gold albums and sold almost a million records for BMG/RCA. After this successful period with the band, JJ decided he needed to take on new challenges and embarked upon his solo career.

After song-writing in 2001 at his home in Jersey (Channel Islands), JJ left for New York to record his critically acclaimed debut solo album ‘Sunnyside P.A.L’ Produced by Dan Wise (Scissor sisters) and mixed by Michael Brauer (Coldplay, John Meyer) the album was inspired by the memory of a childhood friend Paul Anthony Lennon and was released in February 2002. The album became the catalyst for establishing his now fiercely loyal fan base and gained wide spread acclaim from his peers as an ‘outstanding debut album’.

In between the release of his first solo album and the equally successful second album ‘The Boy Who Didn’t Fall’ (released in 2009) recorded by Graeme Duffin and Sandy Jones with great musicians Phil Kane, Ross McFarlane, and Garry John Kane, JJ’s desire to write a musical began to take shape in 2006. This was where he began to sow the early creative musical seeds and formulate ideas for the show ‘Dancing Shoes’, based upon the life of footballer George Best. After his dream was realised “Dancing Shoes” played to over 70,000 people. He has also written the songs for the musical play ‘The Titanic Boys’ which had its debut in August 2012 at Belfast’s Grand Opera House.

JJ recorded his third album Slocomotion with Paul Casey and fantastic Irish musicians Liam Bradley and Nicky Scott along with his long time Silencers chum Phil Kane before departing Ireland. He has remastered and released his albums ‘The Jersey Sessions’ & ‘Live at Cottiers’ and has finished compiling a songbook of his works as a solo artist. Solo album number four saw him go back to The Foundry Music Lab to work with Sandy Jones recording the album he always wanted to do. Dix is 10 songs of vocals, piano and stunning strings.

In April 2022 JJ has released his 5th solo album “This Time Will Pass” recorded close to his hometown in Airdrie at Beetroot studios between 2021 & 2022 with Mark Brzezicki (Big Country, Pete Townsend, The Cult) on drums and backing vocals (Lewis Gordon (Deacon Blue) on Bass, Ali Petrie (Albert Lee, Maggie Bell) on piano and hammond and Andy Lucas (Kris Kristofferson, KT Tunstall) on piano. Bruce Michie on saxaphone. The album is Produced, mixed and mastered by Stuart Macleod who also played guitars, programmed and performed vocals on the record. Now in 2024 JJ will celebrate his 20 plus years as a solo artist by releasing “The Evolution of JJ Gilmour” with brilliant Scottish label “Last night from Glasgow”. JJ’s train keeps on moving so why not get on board.