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Born to a former fashion model and a former DJ and drummer, James Arthur was raised in Redcar, North Yorkshire until the age of nine. Alongside his mother and step-father, Arthur then moved to Bahrain and studied at the local British School of Bahrain before moving back to Redcar when he was 14. Prior to auditioning for a slot on the X Factor James Arthur played in a number of alternative and indie bands including the progressive Moonlight Drive from 2005, the alternative-rock groups Cue the Drama and Save Arcade, and the indie pop/rock band Emerald Skye. Arthur had also uploaded a stream of songs to his SoundCloud page in a collection entitled “Sins by the Sea”, as well as performing in The James Arthur Band, which incorporated R&B, soul and hip-hop influences.
At his X Factor audition in Newcastle, UK, the young musician sung judge Tulisa Contostavlos’ single “Young” and was put through to the bootcamp stage, mentored by Nicole Scherzinger. After singing Take That’s “A Million Love Songs” and Bonnie Hathaway’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me”, Arthur advanced to the live shows, where he ultimately won the final with 53% of the vote. James’ winner’s song, Shontelle’s “Impossible”, became the fastest-selling winner’s single to date and topped the UK Singles Chart in its first week. The singer’s subsequent single “You’re Nobody ’til Somebody Loves You” was released in August 2013, debuted at No. 2 behind Lorde’s single “Royals”, and was taken from Arthur’s debut self-titled album.
“James Arthur”, released in November 2013, debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, aided by the further singles “Get Down” and “Recovery”. After promoting his debut with the James Arthur Tour, a 37-date tour across Europe, the singer released a the mixtape “All the World’s a Stage”, and performed at 2014's V Festival.
Taking the X-Factor crown in 2012, saw James Arthur ascend into the charts with his first single “Impossible” (a cover of Shontelle’s hit) debuting at number one. Having been in numerous local alternative rock bands and not really taking off and issues regarding his personal life spurred Arthur to enter the competition which saw him soar through the show, winning the hearts of the British public with irresistibly smooth and soulful, R&B vocals. His debut album “Impossible” achieved number one in the UK, going double platinum and reaching similar successes in Europe. His follow-up single “You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You” defined and solidified Arthur’s distinctive style.
The X-Factor was just a small insight into his live persona. When he steps on stage he exudes confidence as he effortlessly sings “Get Down” accompanied by a full band and backing singers as he reaches out to the crowd. He really knows how to work the crowd as he interacts with them making full use of his natural charisma. The crowd is filled with hundreds of adoring fans ranging from all ages, who show banners of support and waving their arms from side to side. “Recovery” sees a chorus of voices sing along in unison as Arthur strips it down. “Impossible” gets the biggest reaction as he picks up the electric guitar, letting the crowd sing the entire first verse and Arthur is overwhelmed by the reaction. With incredible soulful vocals mastered to perfection, you can guarantee a heart-warming performance with energy in abundance every time from James Arthur.
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