Alistair Griffin
Alistair Richard Griffin (born 1 November 1977) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. Already an established songwriter, he first became famous as a solo artist through his appearances on the BBC television show ''Fame Academy 2'' in 2003, where he was mentored by Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. He subsequently had two top twenty hit singles and a top twenty album in the UK. Early career Alistair Griffin was born in Middlesbrough, England. He started singing and writing songs whilst still a student at York St. John College (now York St. John University), playing guitar and busking on the streets of York with a small band. His wide musical influences range from classic rock and Britpop, to English and American folk music. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in English literature and following a brief stint working as a milkman around his home town, he moved to London to pursue a career as a singer-songwriter. In 2001, as vocalist with the pop/rock band Sugartown, he p ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Valley. History Monks and lords Middlesbrough started as a Benedictine priory on the south bank of the River Tees, its name possibly derived from it being midway between the holy sites of Durham, England, Durham and Whitby. The earliest recorded form of Middlesbrough's name is "Mydilsburgh". Some believe the name means 'middle fortress', since it was midway between the two religious houses of Durham and Whitby; others state that it is an Old English personal name (''Midele'' or ''Myhailf'') combined with ''burgh'', meaning town. In 686 a monastic cell was consecrated by Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, St Cuthbert at the request of Hilda of Whitby, St Hilda, Abbess of Whitby. The cell evolved into Middlesbrough Priory. The manor of Middlesburgh ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The 'About Radio 2' BBC webpage says: "With a repertoire covering more than 60 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio - from classic and mainstream pop to country, folk, jazz, musical theatre, soul, hip hop, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues." Radio 2 broadcasts throughout the UK on FM band, FM between and from studios at Broadcasting House and Maida Vale Studios in central London. Programmes are broadcast on FM radio, Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio via Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital television in the United Kingdom, digital television and BBC Sounds. According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 13.6 million with a listeni ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Points Of View (TV Series)
''Points of View'' is a long-running British television series broadcast on BBC One. It started on 2 October 1961 and features the letters of viewers offering praise, criticism and observations on BBC television programmes of recent weeks. History ''Points of View'' began in 1961 with Robert Robinson presenting viewers' letters to the BBC. It was originally designed as an occasional five-minute "filler" to plug gaps between shows. Kenneth Robinson (1925–1994) took over in 1965, though Robert Robinson returned in 1969 before the show was dropped in 1971. During the 1960s there was also a spin-off, ''Junior Points of View''. The show returned on 31 August 1979 after a hiatus of eight years, with the dry humour of Barry Took at the helm. Originally only being broadcast in the London area as a five-minute filler whilst other parts of England were broadcasting regional programming, by February 1980 it was broadcast across the whole of the UK and moved to more familiar slot before ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Daniel Bedingfield
Daniel John Bedingfield (born 3 December 1979) is a New Zealand-British singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. His debut studio album, '' Gotta Get thru This'' (2002), spawned three UK number ones, " Gotta Get thru This", " If You're Not the One" and " Never Gonna Leave Your Side", and sold 1.6 million copies in that country. His second album, '' Second First Impression'', was released in 2004. Bedingfield was a judge on '' The X Factor New Zealand'' in 2013. He has written songs for other artists and has acted in the West End theatre in London, UK. Early life Bedingfield was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and attended Lynfield College. He is the elder brother of fellow singers Natasha Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle. Music career 2001–2003: ''Gotta Get Thru This'' and international breakthrough He released his first single, " Gotta Get Thru This" in November 2001. It gathered momentum on white label records through the UK garage music scene, and peaked at number ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alex Parks
Alexandra Rebecca Parks (born 26 July 1984) is a retired English singer-songwriter. In 2003 Parks won the second series of the BBC Television programme ''Fame Academy'' immediately followed by the release of her first album entitled ''Introduction'', which went double platinum in the United Kingdom and gold in several other European countries. In 2005 she released her second album, ''Honesty'', but was subsequently dropped by her record label in February 2006. Parks has been inactive in music since 2006. Biography Alex Parks was born in July 1984 and was raised in the village of Mount Hawke, Cornwall. She is the youngest of four siblings. Parks attended college at The Hub in St Austell. Parks began fronting a local band, ''One Trick Pony'', which performed mostly cover songs by artists such as Joni Mitchell, Ani Di Franco and Michelle Branch. For two years they played in bars around Cornwall, but the momentum of the band gradually ran down, leaving Parks in her bedroom with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman (born 15 January 1972) is an English broadcaster and writer. She has been nominated three times for the British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance for co-presenting the BBC One dancing competition show ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2010–present). Winkleman received her fourth BAFTA nomination and first win for presenting the BBC One reality show ''The Traitors'' (2022–present)''.'' She previously hosted the Saturday mid-mornings show on BBC Radio 2. Early life Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman was born into a Jewish family in the Westminster district of London on 15 January 1972, the daughter of author and journalist Eve Pollard and her husband Barry Winkleman. She grew up in the Hampstead area of London. Her parents divorced when she was three, and both re-married when she was seven. Her mother married newspaper editor Sir Nicholas Lloyd, while her father married children's author Cindy Black. Her father's marriage to Black ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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BBC Three
BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target audience. It covers all genres including particularly new comedies, drama, LGBTQ+ programmes, music, fashion, documentaries, brief news, adult animation, and drama series. BBC iPlayer, the BBC's video-on-demand service, launched in December 2007 and included BBC Three alongside the BBC's other channels at launch. The linear channel closed down on 15 February 2016 and relaunched on 1 February 2022, with programming appearing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the interim period. The channel broadcasts daily from 7:00 pm to 4:00 am, timesharing with CBBC (which starts at 7:00 am). BBC Three is the BBC's youth-orientated television channel, its remit to provide "innovative programming" to a target audience of viewers between 16 and 34 years old, leve ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Dark Horse
A dark horse is a previously lesser-known person, team or thing that emerges to prominence in a situation, especially in a competition involving multiple rivals, that is unlikely to succeed but has a fighting chance, unlike the underdog who is expected to lose. The term comes from horse racing and horse betting jargon for any new but promising horse. It has since found usage mostly in other sports, sports betting, and sports journalism and to lesser extent in nascent business environments, such as experimental technology and startup companies. Origin The term began as horse racing parlance for a race horse that is unknown to gamblers and thus difficult to establish betting odds for. The first known mention of the concept is in Benjamin Disraeli's novel '' The Young Duke'' (1831). Disraeli's protagonist, the Duke of St. James, attends a horse race with a surprise finish: "A dark horse which had never been thought of, and which the careless St. James had never even observed in t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fame Academy 1
The first series of ''Fame Academy'', a BBC reality talent search, was first broadcast in the United Kingdom over ten weeks in October - December 2002. It was won by David Sneddon. The live shows were presented by Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty. Format Eleven previously selected contestants were showcased to the nation in the first live episode, while the first viewer vote of the series was announced in a surprise twist - three other potential finalists would be showcased to the nation - and the public could vote for whom they wanted to enter the Academy, making up the final line-up of twelve contestants. On the Tuesday of each week, the teachers would gather the contestants, and inform them of their progress. The contestant who had impressed the judges the most over the previous week would be named the "Grade A student," and would be guaranteed a solo performance at the following live show. The three contestants who the judges felt were performing the worst would be put on probat ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fame Academy
''Fame Academy'' was a British television talent competition to search for and educate new musical talents. The winner would receive a chance to become a successful music artist and part of the international franchise ''Star Academy'' known under various titles in various countries. In the UK version, the prize consisted of a £1m recording contract with a major record company, plus the use of a luxury apartment in London and a sports car for one year. It was broadcast by the BBC and co-produced by an Endemol company called Initial. The first series was won by David Sneddon and the second and final series was won by Alex Parks, it would be cancelled 1 year after its release, on 4 October 2003. Starting in 2003, '' Comic Relief Does Fame Academy'' saw celebrities singing as students of the academy with proceeds from the phone votes being donated to the charity. Format The format was originally created in the Netherlands under the title ''Star Maker'', and has already achieved ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Perfect Songs
Perfect Songs is a music publishing company based in London, England. Songs featured in its catalogue include "Relax", "The Power of Love", and "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, which were number one hits on the UK Singles Chart; the Grammy Award-winning "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal; and "Beatbox", "Close (To the Edit)" and "Moments in Love" by the Art of Noise, both of which have been frequently sampled by other musical artists. History Perfect Songs was formed in 1981 by record producer Trevor Horn and manager Jill Sinclair Jill Sinclair (5 April 1952 – 22 March 2014) was a British businesswoman and record company director who co-founded ZTT Records. She has been described as one of the "most successful people in the British music business". She was married to .... It was acquired by Universal Music Publishing Group in February 2020. References Article from ''Billboard'' – 26 November 1988Article from "UMPG" – 11 February 2020 External links Official webs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |