James Arthur is a British singer and songwriter who first got recognition when he won Season 9 of “The X Factor” in 2012. James was born in 1988 to a Scottish father and an English mother. James’ father was a delivery driver who used to be a drummer and a DJ, so James comes by his musical talent through his dad. James’ mother was a fashion model in her youth. Sadly, James’ parents divorced when he was only two years old and both had new partners by the time James was three. When James was 14, he entered into part-time voluntary foster care, living with his dad three days a week and in foster care for the other four days. James started recording and writing songs as an unsigned artist when he was 15, and he was in a number of bands before he eventually auditioned for “The X Factor.”
James has since released his debut single, which is a cover of Shontelle’s “Impossible.” As soon as the song was released, it debuted in the number one slot on the U.K. Singles Chart. “Impossible” has since gone on to sell more than 2.5 million copies worldwide. This officially makes Jame’s song the most successful single of any winner in “X Factor” history. His follow-up single was “You’re Nobody ’til Somebody Loves You,” and it reached number two on the U.K. Singles Chart. When he released his first studio album in 2013, it quickly climbed to the number two spot on the U.K. Albums Chart. In 2015, James signed a new deal with record label Columbia Records to release another studio album, “Back from the Edge.”
In the video below, when James is finished singing, the crowd is cheering wildly. The judges were blown away with his performance, with one of the judges saying, “We’ve found ourselves a brand new recording star.” Another judge praised his skill as a performer and called him a recording artist. The judges then got into a mild argument, with one judge saying that he wishes James had made it edgier. The other judges disagreed, saying that James made it his own and nailed it. One judge said, “you take your heart, and you throw it out there every time.”
YouTube
As of 2020, James is doing pretty well for himself. He has a net worth of about $5 million and won’t have to worry about his stability anymore. Watch this young man’s passionate performance of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger” below. He likely sings this with so much passion because he has lived the song.
