James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

in the Life Guards

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, he served under

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

during the 1999

Kosovo War The Kosovo War was an armed conflict in Kosovo that started 28 February 1998 and lasted until 11 June 1999. It was fought by the forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (i.e. Serbia and Montenegro), which controlled Kosovo before the wa ...

. After leaving the military, he rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album '' Back to Bedlam'', achieving worldwide fame with the singles "

You're Beautiful "You're Beautiful" is a song by English singer-songwriter James Blunt. It was written by Blunt, Sacha Skarbek and Amanda Ghost for Blunt's debut album, ''Back to Bedlam'' (2004). It was released as the third single of the album in 2005. In th ...

" and " Goodbye My Lover". Blunt's first album has sold over 11 million copies worldwide, topping the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

and peaking at number two in the US. "You're Beautiful" was number one in the UK, the US and a dozen other countries. ''Back to Bedlam'' was the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK, and is one of the best-selling albums in UK chart history. By 2013, Blunt had sold over 20 million albums worldwide. He has received several awards, including two

Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

—winning Best British Male in 2006—two MTV Video Music Awards, and two

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, as well as receiving five Grammy Award nominations and an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2016 from the

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

Early life

Blunt was born James Hillier Blount on 22 February 1974 at a

military hospital A military hospital is a hospital owned and operated by a military. They are often reserved for the use of military personnel and their dependents, but in some countries are made available to civilians as well. They may or may not be located on a ...

in Tidworth, Hampshire, the first of three children born to Jane Ann Farran ( Amos) and Colonel Charles Blount. His mother started up a ski chalet company in the French Alpine resort of

Méribel Méribel () is a ski resort in the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alps. Méribel refers to three neighbouring villages in the Les Allues commune of the Savoie department of France, near the town of Moûtiers (), called Méribel Centre, Méribel ...

, while his father was a cavalry officer in the

13th/18th Royal Hussars The 13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed by the amalgamation of the 13th Hussars and the 18th Royal Hussars in 1922 and, after service in the Second World War, it amalgamated with ...

and then a helicopter pilot, becoming

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...

of the

Army Air Corps Army Air Corps may refer to the following army aviation corps: * Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), the army aviation element of the British Army * Philippine Army Air Corps (1935–1941) * United States Army Air Corps (1926–1942), or its p ...

. The family has a long history of military service, dating back to the 10th-century arrival of their Danish ancestors in England. Blunt grew up primarily in St Mary Bourne, Hampshire, but moved every two years according to his father's military postings around England (

Middle Wallop Middle Wallop is a village in the civil parish of Nether Wallop in Hampshire, England, on the A343 road. At the 2011 Census the population was included in the civil parish of Over Wallop. The village has a public house, The George Inn, and a ...

, Netheravon, and

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

) as well as Cyprus ( Nicosia) and Germany ( Soest). He also spent time in Cley-next-the-Sea, where his father owned the Cley Windmill. He was educated at Elstree School in Woolhampton and then Harrow School,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

, gaining A-levels in physics, chemistry, and economics. He then went up to the

, where he read aerospace manufacturing engineering and

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

, graduating in 1996 with a BSc (Hons). In March 2022 he was the subject of 'James Blunt: From A to Z', broadcast by

Burst Radio Bristol University's Radio Station (Burst) is a radio station run by students of the University of Bristol, UK. Its studios are located within the University of Bristol Students’ Union building and it broadcasts online.fixed-winged private

pilot licence Pilot licensing or certification refers to permits for operating aircraft. Flight crew licences are regulated by ICAO Annex 1 and issued by the civil aviation authority of each country. CAA’s have to establish that the holder has met a specifi ...

at age 16. He also developed a keen interest in motorbikes around this time.

Military service

Having been sponsored through university on an army bursary, Blunt was committed to serve a minimum of four years in the armed forces. He trained at the

Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town ...

, in intake 963, and was commissioned into the Life Guards, a reconnaissance regiment. He rose to the rank of captain. The Life Guards, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment, were primarily based in

Combermere Barracks Combermere Barracks, Windsor, is a British military installation from Windsor Castle. History The original barracks, known as Clewer Barracks, were designed to accommodate the Royal Horse Guards and were built at Clewer Park between 1796 and 1 ...

. Blunt was trained in British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada, where his regiment was posted for six months in 1998 to act as the opposing army in combat training exercises. In 1999, Blunt volunteered to join a

Blues and Royals The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons) (RHG/D) is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment. The Colonel of the Regiment is Anne, Princess Royal. It is the second-most senior regiment in ...

squadron deploying with

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

. Initially assigned to carry out reconnaissance of the

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

–

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

border, Blunt's

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Tr ...

worked ahead of the front lines, locating and targeting

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

ian forces for the NATO bombing campaign. On 12 June 1999, the troop led the 30,000-strong NATO peacekeeping force from the North Macedonia border towards Pristina International Airport. However, a Russian military contingent had moved in and taken control of the airport before his unit's arrival. American NATO commander

Wesley Clark Wesley Kanne Clark (born December 23, 1944) is a retired United States Army officer. He graduated as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, where he obtained a degree ...

ordered that the unit forcibly take the airport from the Russians. General Mike Jackson, the British commander, refused the order, telling Clark that they were "not going to start World War Three for you". Blunt has said that he would have refused to obey such an order if General Jackson had not blocked it. During Blunt's Kosovo assignment, he had brought along his guitar strapped to the outside of his tank and would sometimes perform for locals and troops. It was while on duty there that he wrote the song " No Bravery". Blunt extended his military service in November 2000, and was posted to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, as a member of the

Queen's Guard The King's Guard and King's Life Guard (called the Queen's Guard and the Queen's Life Guard when the reigning monarch is female) are the contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in the U ...

. During this posting, he was featured on the television programme ''Girls on Top'', a series highlighting unusual career choices. He stood guard at the coffin of HM The

Queen Mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also u ...

during her lying in state and was part of the funeral procession on 9 April 2002. A keen skier, Blunt captained the Household Cavalry alpine ski team in

Verbier Verbier is a village located in south-western Switzerland in the canton of Valais. It is a holiday resort and ski area in the Swiss Alps and is recognised as one of the premier off-piste resorts in the world. Some areas are covered with snow all ...

, Switzerland, becoming the Royal Armoured Corps giant slalom champion in 2000. He left the army on 1 October 2002 having served six years.

Music career

Early career

Blunt had piano and violin lessons as a child, but was introduced to the electric guitar aged 14 at Harrow by a fellow student. His dissertation at Bristol University was entitled ''The Commodification of Image – Production of a Pop Idol''. One of his sources was Simon Frith, a sociologist and

rock critic Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, and chair of the

Mercury Music Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

panel of judges since 1992, who later undertook a lecture tour entitled "The unpopular and unpleasant thoughts inspired by the work of James Blunt". While still in the army, Blunt would write songs during his time off. A backing vocalist and songwriting collaborator suggested he contact Elton John's manager, Todd Interland, with whom she used to share a house. Interland told HitQuarters that he listened to Blunt's demo while driving home and, after hearing the track "Goodbye My Lover", pulled over and called the mobile number written on the CD to set up a meeting. Blunt left the British Army in 2002 so that he could pursue his musical career. He started using the stage name "Blunt" in part to make it easier for others to spell; "Blount" is pronounced the same way, and remains his legal last name. Shortly after leaving the army he was signed to

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

music publishers and to Twenty-First Artists management. A

record contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

remained elusive, with recording label executives pointing to his posh speaking voice as a barrier in class-divided Britain.

Linda Perry Linda Perry (born April 15, 1965) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. She was the lead singer and primary songwriter of 4 Non Blondes, and has since founded two record labels and composed and produced hit songs for ...

, who was just launching her own Custard Records label in early 2003, heard Blunt's promotional tape when visiting London, and soon after heard him perform live at the South by Southwest Music Festival. She made an offer to him the same night, and within a few days he signed a recording contract with her. A month later, he travelled to Los Angeles to meet producer

Tom Rothrock Tom or TOM may refer to: * Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name) Characters * Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head'' * Tom Beck, a character ...

2003–2006: ''Back to Bedlam''

Blunt recorded '' Back to Bedlam'' in 2003 with Rothrock as producer in

Conway Recording Studios Conway Recording Studios is a recording studio in Hollywood, California. People and awards Conway started in the early 1970s as a mastering studio. In 1976, the studio began recording albums, including projects by Elton John and Stevie Wond ...

and Rothrock's home studio in Los Angeles, playing many instruments himself. Back to Bedlam album liner notes, Atlantic Records, October 2004 During recording, he lodged with actress

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...

. Fisher contributed in naming the album, and he recorded the song " Goodbye My Lover" in her bathroom. ''Back to Bedlam'' was released in the UK in October 2004. Blunt's debut single in the UK was " High" (co-written with Ricky Ross of

Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow during 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime and drummer Dougie Vipond. The band released their debut albu ...

). This song initially peaked below the Top 100 of the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, however after the subsequent success of "

" it made the Top 75 before being re-released. The song was chosen to appear in a

Vodafone Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. , Vod ...

commercial in Italy, and was a Top 10 hit in that country. The debut album from the unknown Blunt initially attracted little critical attention; there were no published reviews from major UK music journals. His live performances, mainly in support of better-known musicians, received generally favourable reviews. His lack of performing experience and inconsistent approach with audiences was commented upon, while his music was likened to that of

Damien Rice Damien George Rice (born 7 December 1973) is an Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He began his career as a member of the 1990s rock group Juniper, who were signed to Polygram Records in 1997. The band enjoyed moderate success ...

and David Gray. In March 2004, with Blunt performing in the support role for

Katie Melua Ketevan Katie Melua (; ka, ქეთევან "ქეთი" მელუა, ; born 16 September 1984) is a Georgian and British singer and songwriter. She was born in Kutaisi and raised in Belfast and London. Under the management of com ...

in Manchester, Alex McCann of ''Designer Magazine'' wrote, "Blunt's ascendance is a dead cert and this time next year it isn't that far removed from reality to suggest that a number one album, Brit Award and countless accolade's ic/nowiki> will be his for the taking." After the release of the album, concert support slots for Elton John and

Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Lloyd Cole and the Commotions were a British rock/pop band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1982. Between 1984 and 1989, the band scored four Top 20 albums and five Top 40 singles in the UK; it also had success in several other countries in ...

in late 2004 and early 2005 followed, as did a band residency at London club 93 Feet East. In March 2005, his second single, " Wisemen", was released. Blunt's third single, "You're Beautiful", was his break-out hit. The song debuted at number 12 in the UK, and reached number one six weeks later. The song received huge airplay in the UK, propelling ''Back to Bedlam'' to number one on the

. The extensive airplay ultimately led to Blunt and his co-writers being awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Most Performed Work. After the success of "You're Beautiful" in the UK, the song crossed over to mainland Europe, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2005 across the continent. In the US, "You're Beautiful" made its debut in the summer of 2005 on WPLJ, a prominent radio station in New York City, despite not having been released to radio. The song was released to radio stations in the autumn of 2005 and climbed into the Top 10 in three radio formats:

Adult Contemporary Music Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...

, and

Adult album alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, 2 ...

. Blunt became the first British artist to top the American singles chart in nearly a decade when "You're Beautiful" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 2006; the last British artist to do so had been Elton John in 1997 with the song "

Candle in the Wind 1997 "Candle in the Wind 1997", also known as "Goodbye England's Rose" and "Candle in the Wind '97", is a song by English musician Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin, a re-written and re-recorded version of their 1973 song "Candle in the Wind". ...

". "Goodbye My Lover" was released as the fourth UK single from the album in December 2005, and the second US single. The songs "High" and "Wisemen" were subsequently re-released in 2006. Blunt began 2006 celebrating five

Brit Award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

nominations, and went on to win Best British male solo artist and Best pop act categories, having already started an 11-month world tour. On 31 August 2006, he won two awards at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards, with "You're Beautiful" winning the award for Best Male Video. In late 2005, Blunt made appearances on ''

The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...

'' and as a musical guest on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

''. Eight of the songs on the album were featured in television shows (''

The O.C. ''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...

'', ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

'' and many more), films ('' Undiscovered''), and advertising campaigns ( Hilton Hotels, Sprint telecommunications) throughout 2005 and 2006. He performed "You're Beautiful" at the 49th Grammy Awards in February 2007, dedicating the song to the late

Ahmet Ertegün Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...

of Atlantic Records, but he did not win in any of the five categories for which he had received nominations (including

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

, won by Carrie Underwood). The album sold 11.2 million copies and topped the album charts in 16 territories worldwide. It sold 2.6 million in the US and was certified 2× platinum. In Britain the album sold over three million copies, was certified 10× platinum, and entered the '' Guinness Book of World Records'' for the fastest selling album in one year. In 2005, Blunt performed 90 live shows, mainly across the UK and Europe, and supported

Jason Mraz Jason Thomas Mraz (; born June 23, 1977) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single " The Remedy (I Won't ...

in a North American tour. The "Back to Bedlam World Tour" started off in January 2006, covering cities in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, as well as three separate headline tours in North America, ending in November of that year. Not including promotional appearances, he performed over 140 live shows in 2006. The videos for all of Blunt's singles from ''Back To Bedlam'' feature symbolism and dark imagery. In the first video for "High", he is buried in a desert. In the first video for "Wisemen", he is kidnapped and taken hostage. In the video for "You're Beautiful", he alludes to suicide by jumping off a cliff into the sea. In the " Goodbye My Lover" video, he is the outsider in a love triangle, imagining the couple, a man and woman (played by Matt Dallas of '' Kyle XY'' and Mischa Barton of ''

'') together. The re-release video for "High" features Blunt running in a forest. The re-release video for "Wisemen" has him burning identification papers, and then walking through a forest while he is on fire. Blunt appeared on an episode of ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) ...

'' which aired on 14 November 2007, singing about triangles to the tune of "You're Beautiful". A parody of "You're Beautiful" titled " You're Pitiful" was recorded by

Weird Al Yankovic Weird derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Wyrd, meaning fate or destiny. In modern English it has acquired the meaning of “strange or uncanny”. It may also refer to: Places * Weird Lake, a lake in Minnesota, U.S. People *"Weird Al" Yankovic ...

. He gave personal permission for this parody to be included on a Weird Al album, but Atlantic Records, his label, stepped in to forbid the commercial release of the song. Weird Al has since made the song available as a free MP3 download on his website. In a request by Yankovic to include the song on an upcoming compilation CD, Blunt's manager replied via email, "Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label." On 28 December 2009,

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...

announced that ''Back to Bedlam'' was the biggest-selling album of the 2000s decade in the United Kingdom.

2007–2008: ''All the Lost Souls''

Blunt's second studio album, '' All the Lost Souls'', was released on 17 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and one day later in North America. It sold 65,000 units in its first week, and was certified gold in the UK after only four days. By the end of January 2008, the album had sold 600,000 copies in the UK, and 4.5 million copies internationally. Blunt completed the album's songs at his home in Ibiza in the winter of 2006–2007. He performed five of the ten album tracks during his 2005–2006 tours; lyrics, melodies, and harmonies were refined for the studio recording, on which his touring band played and Tom Rothrock worked as producer. While Blunt's first album received little critical attention, critics from every major music publication, and newspapers around the world, weighed in on ''All the Lost Souls''. The album was met with generally mixed to positive reviews, and maintains a 53/100 rating at

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

." Eric Danton, of the '' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' and '' The Hartford Courant'' wrote that the album is "a collection so bland, it makes

hardtack Hardtack (or hard tack) is a simple type of dense biscuit or cracker made from flour, water, and sometimes salt. Hardtack is inexpensive and long-lasting. It is used for sustenance in the absence of perishable foods, commonly during long sea voy ...

seem sumptuous". However, Kerri Mason of ''Billboard'' said Blunt "shows the abandon and confidence of a long-term artist, not just a one-hit wonder" and continued "there is not a misstep throughout". Equally effusive, Liz Hoggard of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'' wrote that "it's impossible to resist Blunt's

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairi ...

yearning." The first single from ''All the Lost Souls'', "1973", was inspired by Blunt's nights out at Pacha, an Ibiza club, which opened in that year. The song became another hit, reaching number one on the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles chart. D.J. Pete Tong remixed "1973" and played the track during his set at Pacha over the summer of 2007. The second single, " Same Mistake", was released in early December 2007 but did not fare well in the UK charts, peaking at number 57. It was Number one in Brazil and a hit in many South American countries. The third single from the album was " Carry You Home", released in March 2008, peaking at number 20 in the U.K charts and bringing the album back into the Top 10, six months after its release. The fourth and final single from the original "All The Lost Souls" album was " I Really Want You". Blunt collaborated twice during this album cycle. In late 2007, he worked with French rapper Sinik. They released "Je Réalise", which took elements of Blunt's song "I'll Take Everything", which hit the top three in France. On 14 November 2008, "

Primavera in anticipo ''Primavera in anticipo'' and ''Primavera anticipada'' (English: ''Early Spring'') are the Italian- and Spanish-language versions of the tenth studio album by Italian singer Laura Pausini, released by Warner Music on 11 November 2008. Produced by ...

", Laura Pausini's new album, was released. The title track is a duet with Blunt. The album reached the Number one in Italy. Throughout 2007 and 2008, Blunt went on his second world tour, including a performance in London's O2 Arena. In July and August 2008, he supported Sheryl Crow on a 25-date tour along with

Toots and the Maytals The Maytals, known from 1972 to 2020 as Toots and the Maytals, are a Jamaican musical group, one of the best known ska and rocksteady vocal groups. The Maytals were formed in the early 1960s and were key figures in popularizing reggae music. ...

. On 24 November 2008, ''All The Lost Souls'' was re-released as a deluxe edition, with new album artwork, new single " Love, Love, Love" and the documentary '' James Blunt: Return to Kosovo''.

2010–2013: ''Some Kind of Trouble''

Blunt's third studio album titled '' Some Kind of Trouble'', was released on 8 November 2010. The album debuted at number four in the UK with over 100,000 copies sold in the first week. The album's first single " Stay the Night" was released on 27 October 2010. The single did much better in Europe than the UK, sitting at number two on the European Airplay Chart for five consecutive weeks, but only charting at number 37 in the UK top 40. The second single from the album, "So Far Gone" was released in the UK on 3 January 2011. The third single from the album, "If Time Is All I Have" was released in the UK on 4 April 2011. Overall critical reception has been mixed, with

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

saying, in a positive review, that "Some Kind of Trouble is a step in the right direction for Blunt, a move toward love songs free of pretension" whilst

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

Music felt "When all's said, Some Kind of Trouble is not a terrible record by any means, but there's little sense that Blunt has advanced, and equally little sense that it'll make any difference to his bottom line." As of February 2011, worldwide sales stand at over one million copies.

2013–2017: ''Moon Landing''

Blunt's fourth album, ''

Moon Landing A Moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both crewed and robotic missions. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2, on 13 September 1959. The United S ...

'', was released on 18 October 2013. It featured production from ''Back to Bedlam'' producer Tom Rothrock. The lead single, " Bonfire Heart", debuted at number six before peaking at number four the following week in the UK Singles Chart. The single went to number 1 in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, and was in the top 10 in several other countries. On 16 September 2014, Blunt confirmed on his official Instagram account that "Moon Landing" would be re-released on 3 November 2014. The new version of the album was named Moon Landing – Apollo Edition and contained 19 tracks: 11 from the original disc, plus the three bonus tracks of the deluxe version ("Telephone", "Kiss This Love Goodbye", and "Hollywood") and five new tracks ("Smoke Signals", "When I Find Love Again", "Breathe", "Trail of Broken Hearts", and "Working it Out"). The new track "When I Find Love Again" was released as a single that same day, after being played on BBC's Radio 2 for the first time. The official music video for "When I Find Love Again" was released on 14 October 2014. The new version of the album also contains a 19-track live DVD recorded during Blunt's performance in the 2014 edition of the

Paléo Festival The Paléo Festival de Nyon, usually just called Paléo, is an annual rock festival held in Nyon, Switzerland. It started in a small way in 1976 as the Nyon Folk Festival. The first one was held in the village hall in Nyon. From 1977 until 1989, ...

, Switzerland. On 3 May 2015, Blunt was confirmed to be replacing Ronan Keating on the seventh season of '' The X Factor Australia''. He was joined by American rock musician

Chris Isaak Christopher Joseph Isaak (born June 26, 1956) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional actor. He is widely known for his breakthrough hit and signature song " Wicked Game", as well as other songs such as "Blue Hotel", " Baby ...

and returning judges

Guy Sebastian Guy Theodore Sebastian (born 26 October 1981) is an Australian singer and songwriter who was the winner of the first ''Australian Idol'' in 2003, judge on Australia's ''The X Factor'' from 2010 to 2012 and again from 2015 to 2016, and coach ...

and Dannii Minogue.

2017–2019: ''The Afterlove'' and ''Walk Away''

In early 2016, Blunt announced via his newsletter that he had started work on his fifth album. Titled ''

The Afterlove ''The Afterlove'' is the fifth studio album by the English singer James Blunt, released on 24 March 2017 through Atlantic Records. To promote the album, Blunt embarked on The Afterlove World Tour in August 2017. Background On 23 January 2017, B ...

'', it was released in March 2017. In 2019, Blunt collaborated with German DJ and producer Alle Farben to release "Walk Away" in the dance music genre.

2019–present: ''Once Upon a Mind''

Blunt's sixth album, '' Once Upon a Mind'', was released on 25 October 2019. He released the song "Cold" as the lead single on 29 August. His first "greatest hits" album ''The Stars Beneath My Feet (2004–2021)'' was released on 19 November 2021 and included four new songs, two of them released as singles: "Love Under Pressure" and "Unstoppable". A Greatest Hits tour followed, with UK dates in February 2022.

Personal life

Blunt primarily resides on the Spanish island of Ibiza. He also owns a

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-suppo ...

in the Swiss Alpine village of

, where he has a ski lift named after him. In 2012, alongside motorcycle racer

Carl Fogarty Carl George Fogarty, (born 1 July 1965), often known as Foggy, is an English former motorcycle racer and one of the most successful World Superbike racers of all time. He also holds the second highest number of race wins at 59. He is the son ...

and rugby player Lawrence Dallaglio, he opened a restaurant at the top of the ski lift called La Vache. The same year, he was a victim of the News International phone hacking affair and filed for damages in a civil case. On 6 September 2014, Blunt married Sofia Wellesley, the granddaughter of

Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington Brigadier Arthur Valerian Wellesley, 8th Duke of Wellington, (2 July 1915 – 31 December 2014), styled Marquess of Douro between 1943 and 1972, was a senior British peer and a brigadier in the British Army. His main residence was Stratfield S ...

. Blunt and Wellesley have two sons; the godfather of their elder son is

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...

, and the godmother was

. Blunt received the honorary degree of

Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...

(Hon DMus) from the

in 2016. Blunt is an active user of

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

with over two million followers and a feed notable for self-deprecating humour. In 2020, Constable published a compendium of his tweets as a book called ''How to Be a Complete and Utter Blunt: Diary of a Reluctant Social Media Sensation''.

Charity work

Blunt is a

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

of Help for Heroes, a charity that raises money to provide better facilities for wounded British

servicemen The term serviceman, alternatively service member, refers to enlisted members of a nation's armed forces. More generally, the term can be applied to officers as well. For more information see: *Soldier *Sailor *Airman *Marine *Coast guard ...

, and has also held benefit concerts for this charity. He raises funds for the medical charity

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) or charity of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. ...

. He first encountered the non-governmental organisation while on operations in Kosovo. Since then, he has been an active supporter by holding meet-and-greet auctions at many of his concerts, and filming the documentary '' Return to Kosovo'', in which he visited the people and places he had encountered while there. Blunt also supports environmental causes. He screened the trailer for ''

An Inconvenient Truth ''An Inconvenient Truth'' is a 2006 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. The film features a slide show that, by Gore's own e ...

'' at his concerts, and for each advance sales concert ticket purchased through his designated website, a tree is planted. On 7 July 2007, he performed at the

Live Earth Live Earth was an event developed to increase environmental awareness through entertainment. Background Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, ''Live Earth'' was built upon the be ...

concert at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He contributed to the charity single, "

Everybody Hurts "Everybody Hurts" is a song by American rock band R.E.M. from their eighth studio album, '' Automatic for the People'' (1992), and released as a single in April 1993. It peaked at number 29 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached the top ...

" in aid of the

2010 Haiti earthquake A catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest department, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's c ...

appeal.

Discography

* '' Back to Bedlam'' (2004) * '' All the Lost Souls'' (2007) * '' Some Kind of Trouble'' (2010) * ''

'' (2013) * ''

'' (2017) * '' Once Upon a Mind'' (2019)

Tours

;Headlining *Back to Bedlam World Tour *All the Lost Souls Tour *Some Kind of Trouble Tour *

Moon Landing World Tour The Moon Landing World Tour is the fourth concert tour by British recording artist James Blunt. Launched in support of his fourth studio album, ''Moon Landing (album), Moon Landing'' (2013), the tour began in January 2014. It continued into 2014 ...

* The Afterlove Tour *Once Upon a Mind Tour *The Stars Beneath My Feet Tour ;Opening act * 2004 Tour *The Secret Migration Promo Tour * Peachtree Road Tour *Fall Tour 2005 *2008 Summer Tour *

÷ Tour The ÷ Tour (pronounced "Divide Tour") was the third world concert tour by English singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran, in support of his third studio album, '' ÷'' (2017) (pronounced "divide"). Comprising 260 shows, it officially began on 16 March ...

James Blunt Band

* Karl Brazil (drums, backing vocals): 2004–present *Ben Castle (lead guitar, backing vocals): 2005–present * John Garrison (bass, guitar, backing vocals): 2007–present *Christopher Pemberton (keyboards, backing vocals): 2014–present *Richard Cardwell (keyboards, backing vocals): 2014–present *Kristoffer Sonne (drums): 2017–present

Former members

*Daisy Blount (backing vocals): 2004 * Paul Freeman (lead guitar, backing vocals): 2004–2005 *Malcolm Moore (bass, backing vocals): 2004–2007, 2010–2014 *Paul Beard (piano, keyboards, backing vocals): 2004–2014Hardy, 2010, p. 3. *Simon Lea (drums): 2014–2015 *Morten Hellborn (drums): 2015

Awards and nominations

Brit Awards

, - , rowspan="5", 2006 , rowspan="3", James Blunt , British Pop Act , , - , British Male Solo Artist , , - , British Breakthrough Act , , - , ''Back to Bedlam'' , British Album of the Year , , - , "You're Beautiful" , British Single of the Year , , - ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, "1973" , British Single of the Year ,

BT Digital Music Awards

, - , 2005 , James Blunt , Best Pop Artist ,

Grammy Awards

, - , rowspan="5", 2007 , James Blunt ,

, , - , rowspan="3", "You're Beautiful" ,

Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...

, , - , Song of the Year , , - , Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , , - , ''Back to Bedlam'' ,

Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...

MTV Australia Awards

, - , rowspan="2", 2006 , rowspan="2", "You're Beautiful" , Song of the Year , , - , Best Male Artist ,

MTV Europe Music Awards

, - , rowspan="3", 2005 , rowspan="2", James Blunt , Best New Act , , - , Best UK & Ireland Act , , - , "You're Beautiful" , Best Song ,

MTV Video Music Awards

, - , rowspan="3", 2006 , rowspan="3", "You're Beautiful" ,

, , - ,

Best Male Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video was one of four original general awards that have been handed out every year since the first MTV Video Music Awards in 1984. In 2007, though, the award was briefly renamed Male Artist of the Year, and ...

, , - , Best Cinematography ,

Q Awards

, - , rowspan="3", 2005 , James Blunt , Best New Act , , - , "You're Beautiful" , Best Track , , - , ''Back to Bedlam'' , Best Album ,

Teen Choice Awards

, - , rowspan="4", 2006 , rowspan="2", James Blunt , Choice Music: Male Artist , , - , Choice Music: Breakout Male Artist , , - , rowspan="2", "You're Beautiful" , Choice Music: Single , , - , Choice Music: Love Song ,

2006

NRJ Music Award An NRJ Music Award (commonly abbreviated as an NMA) is an award presented by the French radio station NRJ to honor the best in the French and worldwide music industry. The awards ceremony, created in 2000 by NRJ in partnership with the televisio ...

(France) – Best International Newcomer * Echo Music Prize (Germany) – Best International Newcomer *

NME Awards The ''NME'' Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine '' NME'' (''New Musical Express''). The first awards show was held in 1953 as the ''NME'' Poll Winners Concerts, shortly after the founding ...

– Worst Album *

– Most Performed Work and International Hit of the Year *

World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world' ...

– Best New Artist in the World and Biggest Selling British Artist in the World *

Premios 40 Principales LOS40 Music Awards, formerly known as ''Premios 40 Principales'', is an award show by the musical radio station LOS40. It was created in 2006 to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the worldwide station. History LOS40 is the m ...

– Mejor Artista Revelación Internacional (Nominated)

2007

* IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Awards – Top 10 Best Selling Foreign Albums '' All the Lost Souls''

2008

* Echo Music Prize (Germany) – Best International Male Artist

2010

* Virgin Media Music Awards – The Hottes

2011

*Elele Magazine Teen Idol of Turkey 2011

2014

for Best Band Blog or Twitter (nominated) * Hungarian Music Awards – Pop/Rock Album of the Year for ''

2016

Honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

from the University of Bristol

References

Bibliography

* Hardy, Peter (2010). ''Different Country, Same State''. London: Headline Publishing Group. . Retrieved 25 August 2013.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blunt, James 1974 births Living people People from St Mary Bourne People from Tidworth People educated at Elstree School People educated at Harrow School Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Alumni of the University of Bristol English people of Danish descent 20th-century British Army personnel 21st-century British Army personnel 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers Atlantic Records artists Brit Award winners British male pianists British Life Guards officers British soft rock musicians Custard Records artists Echo (music award) winners English expatriates in Spain English keyboardists English male guitarists English male singers English male singer-songwriters English multi-instrumentalists English pop guitarists English pop pianists English pop rock singers English pop singers Ivor Novello Award winners Military personnel of the Kosovo War Musicians from Wiltshire MTV Europe Music Award winners Warner Music Group artists World Music Awards winners BT Digital Music Awards winners