Ben Mills
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| Ben Mills | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Benjamin Collett Mills |
| Origin | Chatham, Kent, England |
| Genre(s) | Rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer and songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano, keyboard |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG |
| Associated acts | Leona Lewis, Raymond Quinn |
Benjamin Collett Mills (born 1 March 1980[citation needed] in Chatham, Kent, England) is a British singer who shot to fame on the third series of The X Factor, where he finished in third place. He signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG.[1] His album, Picture of You, was released on 12 March 2007, the same date as the debut album from The X Factor runner up Raymond Quinn.[2] His debut single was advertised as "Beside You" and set to be released on 5th March 2007. However, the single was pulled by the record company at the last minute. The reason given was to concentrate on album sales.
Mills was a co-director of a marquee hire company, in his home town of Whitstable before appearing on The X Factor.
He gained a diploma in music from the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford, Surrey and has been singing since he was a child. He also plays piano and guitar. He was also a keyboard player in the tribute band to The Doors called The L.A. Doors. He also did the pub and club circuit with his own band called Benzego.
Mills' audition for The X Factor was "Bring It On Home To Me" by Sam Cooke, which impressed the panel of judges; Simon Cowell thought he sounded like a young Joe Cocker, who, incidentally, Ben names as one of his musical influences along with Tom Waits, Rod Stewart and David Bowie. During his time on The X Factor he was mentored by Sharon Osbourne.
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[edit] Personal life
On 24 August 2007, Mills was a celebrity guest in an episode of the live television programme Doctor, Doctor broadcast on channel Five, in which he talked about his personal life and former drug-related problems with the presenter and general practitioner, Mark Porter. On live television Mills explained that he first took cocaine when he went on tour with a band, and from that moment he wanted to take more cocaine. He reported that the tour lasted for 4 years, that he became a heavy cocaine user and his social network became drug orientated, and he reached a nadir; he was having to borrow money, his girlfriend left him, he was not turning up for gigs, and he had lost his confidence. He said that he realised that he had got to change his life after spending 3 or 4 days on a beach in December, so he telephoned a counsellor who helped him to rehabilitate, and after his recovery he successfully took part in The X Factor.
[edit] Discography
| Album information |
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| Picture of You |
[edit] References
- ^ "Five-album deal for X Factor star", bbc.co.uk, 24 January 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
- ^ "X Factor lads go head-to-head", The Sun, 23 January 2007. Retrieved on 2007-01-24.
[edit] External links
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