James Arthur is a singer and songwriter from England. He first gained recognition after competing in “The X Factor” during the 9th season in 2012. He won the competition and went on to release his debut single which was a cover of “Impossible” by Shontelle. Arthur has since become one of teh more popular current artists from the UK, and he has a huge fan base from across the globe, who have an interest in knowing everything possible about their favorite artist, so here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about James Arthur.
1. He’s the most successful winner in the history of “The X Factor”
After winning “The X Factor” competition, James Arthur continued forward in his career and he was signed with Syco Music. His debut single was a smash hit that topped the UK Singles Chart at the number one position. In the UK alone, the song has sold more than 1.4 million copies. The total combined global sales are over 2.5 million.
2. Arthur’s second release was almost as popular
It’s nothing short of amazing for a new artist to release a debut, that is also a cover of someone else’s song and have it rise to number one. He achieved another remarkable success with his second release of “You’re Nobody til Somebody Loves You.” This release made it to the number two spot on the UK Singles Chart. He was off to a fantastic start, and in November of 2013, he released his debut Studio album “James Arthur.”
3. James has been on and off with Simon Cowell
It was Simon Cowell’s Syco record label that first signed a deal with Arthur. In 2014, Arthur and Syco went their separate ways and James signed with Columbia Records for his second studio album which was released in 2016 under the title “Back from the Edge.” After a two year hiatus, he re-upped with Syco signing another contract in 2016.
4. He’s lived all over the world
James Arthur was born in Middlesbrough, England in March of 1988. He attended the Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire. His family moved to Bahrain in 1997, when James was just 9 years old because this is where his stepfather had a job working for Rockwell Automation. He attended the British School of Bahrain. They moved back to their former home after four years in Bahrain.
5. James spent time in foster care
James’ mother and father split up when he was just two years old. Both of his parents had remarried and his father had another child with his new wife. He has a half-sister named Charlotte. When he turned 14 years old, Arthur went into a voluntary part-tiem foster care arrangement. He lived at a foster care home in Brotton, for four days of the week, and he spent the rest of his time living with his father Neil in Redcar.
6. James is preparing for a 2020 North American Tour
Fans in North American will be thrilled to hear that James Arthur is planning his 2020 North American Tour. He has 28 appearances planned for the Spring Trek tour. He’ll perform songs from his latest LP “You.” Delacey will open for him when he opens with the first sow on April 4th in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tour will end in Phoenix, Arizona at his May 24th concert. You can get your tickets for any of the locations now as they went on sale on October 25th, 2019 officially, and offered for pre-sale on October 22nd.
7. He’s planning a European tour the same year
After James Arthur has concluded his North American Tour in May of 2020, he’s going to head back to the UK for some other dates that he’s already pre-scheduled. He will make an additional tour of the UK and Europe early in the year. He’s going to be busy performing for the first part of 2020. He’s a talented young artist who is in high-demand so we’re fully expecting that he’ll pack out the shows wherever he makes an appearance.
8. James suffered from mental health issues
Now at the age of 31, James Arthur has spoken candidly about his split with the Syco record label and the issues that he was having at the time. He took a break from the label and they also took a break from him. He was having some real issues with his own mental health at the time, but he didn’t let on to fans about the situation. He learned a lot along with way, and his coming to terms with internal issues resulted in his second album “Back from the Edge.” In light of his revelation about the rough times, he went through, the title of the album takes on a whole new meaning.
9. James Arthur supports his favorite charity
Arthur is thankful for those who helped him when he was having personal difficulties. He is very open and honest about his experiences. He is now an ambassador for SANE, a mental health charity in the UK. This is helping to bring attention to the great need for identification and treatment for those who suffer from mental health issues.
10. He was inspired by his mom to go on “The X Factor”
James shared that he called his mom to borrow money from her. She told him that there was only one way for him to secure a loan from her. Her conditions stipulated that he must audition for the show and if chosen, follow through. Arthur agreed to her terms and made the audition. It was one of the best decisions he could have possibly made, because he went from the position of being broke and needing to bum money off his mom, to a very successful and wealthy international artist.
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