| The Soldiers | |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records |
| Members | |
| Corporal Ryan Idzi Sergeant Richie Maddocks Sergeant Major Gary Chilton |
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The Soldiers is a singing trio consisting of serving British Army soldiers, signed to CPW Productions Warner Bros. Records, whose debut album, Coming Home, was released on 26 October 2009. The trio consists of Ryan Idzi, Richie Maddocks and Gary Chilton. The Soldiers' first national interview was with The Sun, with a free download of the lead song from the album Coming Home. The concept was devised by Jeff Chegwin and Nick Patrick
The show was broadcast on BBC TV on 25 October 2009.[1]
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Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary Chilton was born in Hampshire and joined the Army in 1984. He served in the Gulf War and is currently Band Sergeant Major of the Army Air Corps.
Corporal Ryan Idzi (born 1985) was born in Caerphilly, Wales, and is of Polish ancestry. He appeared on The X Factor, reaching the "Bootcamp" stages of the competition. A member of the 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, he has served in Afghanistan and Iraq as a member of the 20th Armoured Brigade.
Staff Sergeant Richie Maddocks was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester and joined the Army at the age of 16. He is also a Gulf War veteran and is currently Drum Major of the Minden Band of the Queen's Division.
The album, which consists of anthems such as "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", "Stand by Me" and "With a Little Help from My Friends", has been produced by Nick Patrick and the group is managed by Jeff Chegwin.
The lead track from the album is called "Coming Home", written by Jake Hook, Nick Patrick and Jeff Chegwin. It was delivered as a free download for 48 hours through The Sun's website as a promotion for the forthcoming album. Proceeds from the single are donated to The Army Benevolent Fund.
| Album Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| Coming Home |
|
4 | |
| Letters Home |
|
10 |
|
| Message to You |
|
11 |
| Year | Single | Chart peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||
| 2009 | "Coming Home" | — | Coming Home |
| "A Soldiers Christmas Letter" | 65 | ||
| 2010 | "Letters Home" | — | Letters Home |
| 2011 | "I've Gotta Get a Message to You" (with. Robin Gibb) |
75 | Message to You |
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