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Julian Smith (saxophonist)
Julian Smith (born 21 April 1969 from Birmingham) is an English saxophonist and music teacher from Birmingham, England. He is also known by his stage name Joolz Gianni. He has made guest appearances alongside artists such as Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Gwen Dickey (Rose Royce), Hamish Stuart and Steve Ferrone (Average White Band), and has performed on national television together with Chris Rea, M People, and Dina Carroll. In 2003, he released a solo album, ''Chilled 2 the Sax'', which features Acker Bilk, Dina Carroll, and Ola Onabule. Smith became better known after appearing on the third series of ''Britain's Got Talent'' in 2009 and finished in third place behind singer Susan Boyle and winning dance troupe Diversity. Early life and education Julian Smith is a native of Birmingham, England. His father was a music teacher, which allowed Smith to learn a variety of instruments as a child, including the clarinet. He attended the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (then Birmingha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the List of English districts by population, largest local authority district in England by population and the second-largest city in Britain – commonly referred to as the second city of the United Kingdom – with a population of million people in the city proper in . Birmingham borders the Black Country to its west and, together with the city of Wolverhampton and towns including Dudley and Solihull, forms the West Midlands conurbation. The royal town of Sutton Coldfield is incorporated within the city limits to the northeast. The urban area has a population of 2.65million. Located in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England, Birmingham is considered to be the social, cultural, financial and commercial centre of the Midland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rose Royce
Rose Royce is an American soul and R&B group. They are best known for several hit singles during the 1970s including " Car Wash", " I Wanna Get Next to You", " I'm Going Down", " Wishing on a Star", and " Love Don't Live Here Anymore". Career The Los Angeles-based group comprised Gwen Dickey (vocals), Henry Garner (drums), Terral "Terry" Santiel (congas), Lequeint "Duke" Jobe (bass), Michael Moore (saxophone), Kenny Copeland (trumpet, lead vocals), Kenji Brown (guitar, lead vocals), Freddie Dunn (trumpet), and Victor Nix (keyboards). The group began in the early 1970s when members of several backup bands from the Watts and Inglewood areas of Los Angeles united under the name Total Concept Unlimited. In 1973, this collective toured England and Japan behind Motown soul star Edwin Starr. Starr introduced them to Norman Whitfield. Whitfield, after a decade at Motown, wanted to start a company of his own. He took the T.C.U. octet under his wing and signed them to his label. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Birmingham Post
The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a succession of distinguished editors and has played an influential role in the life and politics of the city. It is currently owned by Reach plc. In June 2013, it launched a daily tablet edition called ''Birmingham Post Business Daily.'' In 2019, the website was scrapped to instead host the nation-wide business news brand ''Business Live''. History The '' Birmingham Journal'' was a weekly newspaper published between 1825 and 1869. A nationally influential voice in the Chartist movement in the 1830s, it was sold to John Frederick Feeney in 1844 and was a direct ancestor of today's ''Birmingham Post''. The 1855 Stamp Act removed the tax on newspapers and transformed the news trade. The price of the ''Journal'' was reduced from seven pence to four pence and circulatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diversity (dance Troupe)
Diversity are a British street dance troupe formed in 2007 and based in London. They are best known for winning the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'' in 2009, beating Susan Boyle in the live final. Diversity consists of friends from London (Leytonstone and Dagenham) and Essex (Basildon), including four sets of siblings and eight other members. At the time they appeared on ''Britain's Got Talent'', some were still at school or university, while others had jobs of their own. The group, ranging in age from –, consists of leader and choreographer Ashley Banjo and the following other members: Jordan Banjo, Sam Craske, Mitchell Craske, Perri Kiely, Warren Russell, Terry Smith, Nathan Ramsay, Theo Mckenzie-Hayton, Adam Mckop, Kelvin Clark, Jordan Samuel, Shante Samuel, Starr Kiely, Georgia Lewis and Curtis Butler. Founding members Ashton Russell, Ian McNaughton, Jamie McNaughton, Matthew McNaughton and Ike Chuks have left Diversity. They are currently managed by Danielle Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 million records. Her debut album, '' I Dreamed a Dream'' (2009), is one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century, having sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and it was the best-selling album internationally in 2009. In 2011, Boyle made UK music history by becoming the first female artist to achieve three successive albums debut at No.1 in less than two years. Boyle's debut studio album, ''I Dreamed a Dream'', was released in November 2009; it became the UK's best-selling debut album of all time, beating the previous record held by '' Spirit'' by Leona Lewis, and set a record for first-week sales by a debut album, according to the Official Charts Company. In her first year of fame, Boyle made £5 million (£ million today) with t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Britain's Got Talent
''Britain's Got Talent'' (often abbreviated to ''BGT'') is a televised British talent show competition, and part of the global '' Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), it is produced by Talkback Thames (Thames from 2012 to 2024) and Syco Entertainment, distributed by Fremantle, and broadcast on ITV every year (excluding 2021) in late Spring to early Summer. The show was originally intended for production in 2005, but filming was delayed after the intended host, Paul O'Grady, stepped down. Following the success of '' America's Got Talent'' that year, production resumed, and the programme eventually premiered on 9 June 2007. Every year, contestants of any age can audition for the televised contest with whatever talent they wish to demonstrate. During auditions, participants seek to impress a panel of judges – presently consisting of Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Britain's Got Talent Series 3
The third series of British talent competition programme ''Britain's Got Talent'' was broadcast on ITV, from 11 April to 30 May 2009. The judging panel of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan returned from the previous series; a fourth judge, Kelly Brook, was added, but removed from the series shortly after filming began. The third series was won by street dance troupe Diversity, with singer Susan Boyle finishing in second place and saxophonist Julian Smith third. During its broadcast, the series averaged around 13.3 million viewers, with the figures partly helped by the notable performances of Boyle during her time in on the show, with her audition on the third series considered the most iconic moment in the programme's history. The programme faced criticism during the third series for airing an unsuitable performance conducted in an audition, while Boyle's well-being became a major concern for producers following the final. Series overview Following open auditions ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ola Onabule
Ola Onabulé is a British-Nigerian singer-songwriter. Background Ola Onabulé was born in Islington, London. At the age of seven he moved to Lagos, Nigeria, where he spent the next ten years in school. At seventeen he returned to the UK to study at Millfield School. From there he attended law school, almost completing a three-year degree before deciding to enroll at Middlesex Polytechnic for an arts degree. While studying, he began to perform in London clubs and venues, writing and performing his own material. Music career Onabule has had a career that spans almost two decades. He released much of his music on his own label, Rugged Ram Records, after recording for Elektra and Warner Bros. His first album, ''More Soul Than Sense'', was released in 1995. Onabulé is featured as the uncredited vocalist for Gigi D'Agostino's 1999 dance hit L'amour toujours. Ola Onabulé has performed internationally at some of the world's most prestigious jazz festivals and concert halls. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acker Bilk
Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk, (28 January 1929 – 2 November 2014) was an English clarinetist and vocalist known for his breathy, vibrato-rich, lower-register style, and distinctive appearance – of goatee, bowler hat and striped waistcoat. Bilk's 1961 instrumental tune " Stranger on the Shore" became the UK's biggest selling single of 1962, spending 55 weeks on the charts and reaching Number 1. It was the first single to top the UK and US charts simultaneously, and the second No. 1 single in the United States by a British artist. In Canada it was number 4 for 4 weeks before peaking at number 3. Early life Bilk was born in Pensford, Somerset, in 1929. He earned the nickname "Acker" from the Somerset slang for "friend" or "mate". His parents tried to teach him the piano but, as a boy, Bilk found it restricted his love of outdoor activities, including football. He lost two front teeth in a school fight and half a finger in a sledging accident, both of which he said affect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dina Carroll
Geraldine "Dina" Carroll (born 21 August 1968) is an English singer. She had a string of hits during the 1990s, including the UK top ten singles "It's Too Late (Carole King song)#Quartz version, It's Too Late" (1991), "Don't Be a Stranger (Dina Carroll song), Don't Be a Stranger" (1993), "The Perfect Year" (1993), and "Escaping (Margaret Urlich song)#Dina Carroll version, Escaping" (1996). Carroll released two studio albums, ''So Close (album), So Close'' (1993) and ''Only Human (Dina Carroll album), Only Human'' (1996), both of which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and were certified platinum. She won Best British Female Solo Artist at the 1994 Brit Awards. Early career Carroll was born in Newmarket, Suffolk, Newmarket, England, to a Scottish mother and an American father. She started singing aged five, and despite the lack of formal vocal coaching, she won a local talent competition in 1981, at the age of thirteen, with her rendition of Barbra Streisand's "Woman in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
M People
M People (stylised as ''M''People) are an English dance music band that formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is derived from the first letter of the first name of band member Mike Pickering, who formed the group. In December 2016, '' Billboard'' magazine ranked them as the 83rd most successful dance act of all time. As of 2021, M People have sold over 11 million records worldwide. Career Formation Pickering had been a member of Factory Records dance act Quando Quango, but became better known as one of the original DJs at The Haçienda. Paul Heard was a member of acid jazz band Ace of Clubs, and Shovell had previously been in the collective Natural Life. The original plan had been to have a roster of different singers for different songs, but having been spotted by Pickering and Heard, Heather Small became the distinctive vocalist of the group. She had been in the English soul band Hot House, which had released a number of crit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Rea
Christopher Anton Rea ( ; born 4 March 1951) is a British Rock music, rock and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist from Middlesbrough. Known for his distinctive voice and his slide guitar playing, Rea has recorded twenty-five studio albums, two of which topped the UK Albums Chart: ''The Road to Hell'' in 1989 and its successor, ''Auberge (album), Auberge'', in 1991. He had already become "a major European star by the time he finally cracked the UK Top 10" with the single "The Road to Hell (song), The Road to Hell (Part 2)". Over the course of his long career, Rea's work has at times been informed by his struggles with serious health issues. His many hit songs include "I Can Hear Your Heartbeat", "Stainsby Girls", "Josephine (Chris Rea song), Josephine", "On the Beach (Chris Rea song), On the Beach", "Let's Dance (Chris Rea song), Let's Dance", "Driving Home for Christmas", "Working on It", "Tell Me There's a Heaven", "Auberge (song), Auberge", and "Julia (Chris Rea song), Ju ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
