Julian Smith (saxophonist)
| Julian Smith | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Joolz Gianni |
| Born |
21 May 1969 Halesowen West Midlands England United Kingdom |
| Genres | Classical, jazz, soul, blues, funk, pop |
| Occupations | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Saxophone, clarinet, bassoon |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Sony TV |
| Website | juliansmithsax.co.uk |
Julian Smith (born 21 May 1969)[1] is a British saxophonist and music teacher from Halesowen. He is also known by his stage name Joolz Gianni.[2] He has made guest appearances alongside artists such as Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Gwen Dickey (Rose Royce) and Hamish Stuart (Average White Band), and has performed on national television together with Chris Rea, M People, and Dina Carroll. In 2003, he released a solo album, Chilled 2 the Sax, which features Acker Bilk, Dina Carroll, and Ola Onabule. Some of his tracks also appear in the multi-platinum selling The Classic Chillout album series from Sony Music.[3] Smith became better known after appearing on the third series of Britain's Got Talent in 2009 and finished in third place behind singer Susan Boyle and winning dance troupe Diversity.[4] He toured with The Stylistics in 2010 and is currently on tour with Diversity.
Career
He studied at the Birmingham Conservatoire. Smith's father was a music teacher and had the opportunity to try out a lot of different instruments. He started playing the clarinet, but later switched to the saxophone. He studied the mechanics of the bassoon at the Birmingham Conservatoire but began concentrating on the sax thereafter.[5] Smith has been playing the saxophone for 20 years and cites some of his influences to be Kenny G, David Sanborn, Candy Dulfer, and Kirk Whalum.[2]
Britain's Got Talent
On 18 April 2009, during the third series of Britain's Got Talent, Smith entered with his saxophone. A standing ovation occurred after Smith's performance. During the judges' remarks, Simon Cowell stated, "...there could be something special about you Julian". With the public voting the fate of all the contestants, Smith advanced to the semi-final round of competition which took place on 28 May 2009. In the final on 30 May, Smith placed third with 16.4% of nearly 4 million votes.
Personal life
He has children with his wife Iraz and said that he entered Britain's Got Talent to "make life better for them".[1]
Discography
Joolz Gianni
- Chilled 2 the Sax (2003), Sony TV
- The Prayer - Classical Relief for Haiti (single)
Compilation appearances
- The Classic Chillout Album (2001), Sony Music Entertainment
- The Classic Chillout Album 2 (2001), Columbia Records
- The New Classic Chillout Album (2002), Sony Music Entertainment
- Open Space - The Classic Chillout Album 2 (2002), Columbia Records
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Britain's got sax appeal". ITV. 2009-05-22. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Joolz Gianni". Platinum Live. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
- ↑ James Tapper, Sarah Oliver (30 May 2009). Susan Boyle was comforted by psychiatrists before Britain's Got Talent final loss. Daily Mail.
- ↑ "sax player Julian Smith comes third in Britain's Got Talent". Birmingham Post. 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
- ↑ "Julian Smith: Sax sensation". ITV. 2009-05-23. Retrieved 2009-05-31.
External links
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