Steve Brookstein
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| Steve Brookstein | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Steven Desmond Brookstein |
| Born | November 10, 1968 |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | jazz, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Label(s) | Sony BMG (2004-2005)
Independent (2006-present) |
| Associated acts | G4, Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson |
| Website | http://www.stevebrookstein.com/ |
Stephen "Steve" Desmond Brookstein (born 10 November 1968) is a British jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the United Kingdom after becoming the winner of the first series of The X Factor in 2004.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] The X Factor 2004
In early 2004, Brookstein auditioned for the first series of The X Factor, a new television talent show that aimed to discover a star recording artist in the UK. His audition failed to impress two of the judges, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, but the third, Simon Cowell asked Brookstein to return the next day and sing again. This time Brookstein managed to impress the other judges and was put through to the next stage of the competition. when he reached the televised finals, Brookstein and the other two contestants in his category (25 years old and over) were mentored by Simon Cowell. He managed to make it to the grand final alongside G4, winning every one of the live finals according to Sharon Osbourne's biography. On 11 December 2004, he was announced as the winner of The X-Factor with two-thirds of the viewers' votes[citation needed].
[edit] X-Factor performances
- Top 9: "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge
- Top 8: "If You Don't Know Me By Now" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes
- Top 7: "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin
- Top 6: "Help Me Make It Through The Night" by Gladys Knight & the Pips
- Top 5: "Let's Stay Together"" by Al Green
- Top 4: "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" by Jackie Wilson
- Top 4: "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" by R. Kelly
- Top 3: "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?" by Van Morrison
- Top 3: "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston
- Top 2: "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" by Jackie Wilson
- Top 2: "Smile" by Charlie Chaplin
- Top 2: "Against All Odds" by Phil Collins - Declared 1st X-Factor Winner
[edit] Post X-Factor Career
[edit] 2004-2005: Heart and Soul
After winning The X-Factor, Steve Brookstein was immediately signed to the Sony BMG record label through which he released his first single, a cover of "Against All Odds" on December 20, 2004. The song debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 2 and then rose to the number 1 spot on January 8, 2005, and stayed there for one week. In Ireland, the song peaked at number 11. The music video for the song was a montage of clips from his time on The X-Factor, from his initial audition to his final performance after being declared the winner.
Brookstein released his debut album Heart and Soul on May 9, 2005 through Sony BMG, five months after his first single reached number one. The album was an immediate success, also debuting on the UK charts at number-one and going on to sell approximately 250,000 copies. Although Brookstein continued to perform tracks from his album on shows such as CD:UK, a second single failed to materialise. In August 2005 it was announced that Sony BMG had dropped him from their line-up only eight months after he won The X-Factor and despite the success of his debut single and album. The decision to drop him reportedly came after he refused to record a second album of covers, instead arguing that his next release should include a number of original, self-penned songs.
[edit] 2006: 40,000 Things
After being dropped by Sony BMG, Brookstein spent the next year writing his own material and forming his own record label. On October 2, 2006, he released his second single (and first from his upcoming album) "Fighting Butterflies" independently. Although accompanied and promoted by a music video, the song failed to crack the UK Top 75, peaking at #193. Undeterred, Brookstein released his second album 40,000 Things on October 9, 2006. However, the album also failed commercially, peaking at number #165.
From September to November 2006, Brookstein embarked on a nationwide tour of small venues in order to promote his new album. Many of the shows were sold out, but several had to be cancelled due to low ticket sales. In June 2007, Brookstein appeared as a cabaret act on the P&O Portsmouth to Bilbao ferry, alongside series 2 X-Factor alumni Chico Slimani and Journey South.[2]. In October 2007, Brookstein recorded and contributed the track "Head Over Heels" for Ian Levine's Disco 2008 album. In September 2007, Brookstein embarked on his Great American Soul Book tour, and is currently writing and recording new material.
In 2008, he is to play the father in a touring production of the musical Our House.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Year | Information | UK | IRE | WW | Sales and Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Heart and Soul | 1 | 20 | 33 | U.K sales: 250,000 BPI: Gold |
| 2006 | 40,000 Things
|
165 | — | — | U.K sales: 7,000 BPI: N/A |
[edit] Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | |||
| 2004 | "Against All Odds" | 1 | 11 | Heart and Soul |
| 2006 | "Fighting Butterflies" | 193 | — | 40,000 Things |
[edit] Tours
- The X Factor Live! Tour 2005
- The 40,000 Things Tour 2006
- The Great American Soul Book Tour 2007
[edit] TV appearances
In 1997, seven years before his breakthrough on X Factor, Brookstein was a finalist on the ITV series The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross. Since his X Factor success, Steve Brookstein appeared on GMTV, CD:UK, Top of The Pops, The Paul O'Grady Show, This Morning, The Frank Skinner Show and has always performed live. He also appeared on The Match, where he was joined by Big Brother 6 winner Anthony Hutton and Philip Olivier from Brookside, ex cricketer Phil Tufnell, and Patrick McGuinness ("Paddy" from 'Phoenix Nights'). He survived a few matches but was eventually put on the bench with two other celebrities and voted off. He has also appeared on 'The Wright Stuff' and 'Loose Women'. Recently Brookstein was caught making love in public to GI Moore
| Preceded by new show |
Winner of The X Factor 2004,Series 1 |
Succeeded by Shayne Ward |
[edit] References
- ^ Steve voted The X Factor winner BBC News
- ^ Chico's got the Decks Factor | The Sun |HomePage|Showbiz|TV|X Factor
[edit] External links
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