Eoghan Quigg
Encyclopedia
Eoghan Quigg is an Irish
pop singer and occasional actor
from Dungiven
in Northern Ireland
, who finished third in the fifth series
of the British
television music talent contest The X Factor
in 2008
. As a result of his X Factor success, Quigg was due to be signed by Simon Cowell
, X Factor creator/producer and owner and CEO of Syco Records
, but was instead signed to RCA
after Cowell pulled out.
, Northern Ireland
.
Singing along to Disney cartoons since the age of two, Quigg found his voice when he was in class and told to stand up and sing as a punishment. To the teacher's surprise he was good and she said to stay behind and go to the school choir, and from then on he sang lead roles in school musicals, such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
.
, Dannii Minogue
, Louis Walsh
and Cheryl Cole
in 2008. Quigg got past the "judges' houses" stage of the competition, and made it to the live shows in Cowell's 14–24 boys group, along with Scott Bruton and Austin Drage, both of whom were eliminated early in the live shows. On the first live show, Quigg sang "Imagine
" and was highly praised by the judges. On the second live show (Michael Jackson week) he sang "Ben
" which was also praised. On Big Band
week Quigg sang "L-O-V-E
" and received a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd. He made it to the semi-finals and after performances of "Year 3000
" and "Does Your Mother Know
" was voted through to the final.
Quigg eventually finished third, with Alexandra Burke
the winner, and JLS
runners-up
at the Dublin O2 in Dublin on 16 December 2008, among big stars including Enrique Iglesias, Anastasia, Boyzone and many more. In December he also appeared on The Late Late Show
where it was announced that Irish boyband Boyzone
had invited him on their UK and Ireland Better Tour
.
After Alexandra Burke
won the X Factor, Simon Cowell's Syco Music announced that it intended to sign Quigg, along with Burke, second place JLS, and fourth place Diana Vickers
. On 15 January 2009 it was announced that Quigg had landed a record deal with Syco's parent company Sony BMG. The Sun
later reported that Cowell had revoked his offer to Quigg and that he has been signed to RCA Records
.
on 6 April 2009. "28,000 Friends" was recorded as a promo song and a music video was shot, however it was never released as a single. The album charted poorly in the UK, only making number 14 and spending only 3 weeks in the top 100. After some initial success on the Irish Albums Chart
- where it debuted at Number 1 - the album soon began free-falling and the album spent just a total of 8 weeks on the chart. The album received overwhelmingly bad reviews leading to Peter Robinson
claiming it to be "the worst album in the history of recorded sound" and that it was "so bad that it would count as a new low for popular culture". The album was mainly criticised for its complete lack of any original material, poor production and poor singing performance from Quigg. Following disappointing album sales, Quigg was dropped by RCA Records in July 2009 and currently remains unsigned. On 2 December 2010, Eoghan performed live at Wellington College Belfast
. Lloyd Daniels was supposed to perform but was unable to be there.
sitcom Dani's House
, playing himself.
He has also expressed an interest in landing a role in the E4 television series Skins
. He also appeared as a guest on the 22 December 2009 edition of Alan Carr: Chatty Man
and featured as a guest on Harry Hill's TV Burp on 19 February 2011.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
pop singer and occasional actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
from Dungiven
Dungiven
Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, who finished third in the fifth series
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television music talent contest The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2008
2008 in British music
This is a summary of the year 2008 in British music. 21 singles occupied the number one position during the year, with 11 being new. The average sale for a number one, for the whole of 2008 was 71,528, a vast improvement over 2007, when the average sale for a number one was 55,425...
. As a result of his X Factor success, Quigg was due to be signed by Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, X Factor creator/producer and owner and CEO of Syco Records
Syco
Syco Entertainment, often known as simply Syco , is a global joint venture between Simon Cowell and Sony Music Entertainment focused on the production and exploitation of music, television, film and digital content...
, but was instead signed to RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
after Cowell pulled out.
Early life
Eoghan Quigg grew up in DungivenDungiven
Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Singing along to Disney cartoons since the age of two, Quigg found his voice when he was in class and told to stand up and sing as a punishment. To the teacher's surprise he was good and she said to stay behind and go to the school choir, and from then on he sang lead roles in school musicals, such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
.
2008: The X Factor
Quigg auditioned for the talent show The X Factor in front of judges Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
, Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
and Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Cole
Cheryl Ann Cole is an English pop and R&B recording artist, songwriter, dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality television show Popstars: The Rivals on ITV. The programme announced that Cole had won a place as a member of the girl group, Girls...
in 2008. Quigg got past the "judges' houses" stage of the competition, and made it to the live shows in Cowell's 14–24 boys group, along with Scott Bruton and Austin Drage, both of whom were eliminated early in the live shows. On the first live show, Quigg sang "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
" and was highly praised by the judges. On the second live show (Michael Jackson week) he sang "Ben
Ben (song)
"Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop...
" which was also praised. On Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
week Quigg sang "L-O-V-E
L-O-V-E
"L-O-V-E" is a jazz song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler for American singer-pianist Nat King Cole's 1965 album L-O-V-E...
" and received a standing ovation from the judges and the crowd. He made it to the semi-finals and after performances of "Year 3000
Year 3000
"Year 3000" is a pop punk song performed by English boyband Busted, released as the second single from their debut album Busted. The song was co-written by Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones from the band McFly, and Busted lead guitarist James Bourne...
" and "Does Your Mother Know
Does Your Mother Know
"Does Your Mother Know", originally "I Can Do It", is the name of a song recorded in 1979 by Swedish pop group ABBA and was the second single to be released from their album Voulez-Vous. The B-side was "Kisses of Fire", also taken from the album.-History:...
" was voted through to the final.
Quigg eventually finished third, with Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
the winner, and JLS
JLS
- Music :* JLS, an English boyband** JLS , debut album by JLS* JLS a Spanish Rock band based in Zaragoza , Spain formed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by lead Leo Susana.- Organizations :...
runners-up
Performances on The X Factor
| Week | Song choice | Theme | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | "Imagine Imagine (song) "Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971... " |
Number One Songs in UK and US | Safe |
| Week 2 | "Ben Ben (song) "Ben" is a song written by Don Black and composed by Walter Scharf for the 1972 film of the same name . It was performed in the film by Lee Montgomery and by Michael Jackson over the closing credits. Jackson's single, recorded for the Motown label in 1972, spent one week at the top of the U.S. pop... " |
Songs by Michael Jackson Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records... or The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana... |
Safe |
| Week 3 | "L-O-V-E L-O-V-E "L-O-V-E" is a jazz song written by Bert Kaempfert and Milt Gabler for American singer-pianist Nat King Cole's 1965 album L-O-V-E... " |
Big Band Big band A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians... |
Safe |
| Week 4 | "Could It Be Magic Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow. It was included on Manilow's 1973 debut album, Barry Manilow.Due to its popularity, it was released as a single in 1975, two years after it had originally been recorded, where it reached #6 in the United States.Manilow's... " |
Disco Disco Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and... |
Safe |
| Week 5 | "Anytime You Need A Friend Anytime You Need a Friend "Anytime You Need a Friend" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. The song was written and produced by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, for her third studio album, Music Box . It was released on May 31, 1994 through Columbia Records, as the fourth and final single from the album. The... " |
Songs by Mariah Carey Mariah Carey Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993... |
Safe |
| Week 6 | "One More Try One More Try (George Michael song) "One More Try" is a U.S. number-one hit song written and performed by George Michael and released by Epic Records in 1988 as the fourth single from Faith.-History:... " |
Best of British | Safe |
| Week 7 | "Never Forget" | Songs by Take That Take That Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter... |
Safe |
| Week 8 | "Sometimes Sometimes (Britney Spears song) "Sometimes" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her debut studio album ...Baby One More Time . Written by Jörgen Elofsson and produced by Per Magnusson and David Krueger, the song was released as Spears' second single on April 30, 1999 by Jive Records... " |
Songs by Britney Spears Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... |
Safe |
| "We're All In This Together High School Musical (soundtrack) * Are not on the first disc of the two-disc special edition version. ** Drew Seeley sang in several of the songs, his voice being mixed with Zac Efron's... " |
American Classics | ||
| Semi-final | "Year 3000 Year 3000 "Year 3000" is a pop punk song performed by English boyband Busted, released as the second single from their debut album Busted. The song was co-written by Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones from the band McFly, and Busted lead guitarist James Bourne... " |
Mentor's Choice | Safe |
| "Does Your Mother Know Does Your Mother Know "Does Your Mother Know", originally "I Can Do It", is the name of a song recorded in 1979 by Swedish pop group ABBA and was the second single to be released from their album Voulez-Vous. The B-side was "Kisses of Fire", also taken from the album.-History:... " |
Contestant's Choice | ||
| Final | "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" is a popular Christmas song, first released in 1973 by the English glam rock band Wizzard.It reached number four in the UK singles chart. The song was famously beaten to Christmas number one by Slade's "Merry Xmas Everybody" which remained there for nine... " |
Christmas Song | 3rd place |
| "Picture of You" (with Boyzone Boyzone Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12... ) |
Celebrity Duet | ||
| "We're All In This Together High School Musical (soundtrack) * Are not on the first disc of the two-disc special edition version. ** Drew Seeley sang in several of the songs, his voice being mixed with Zac Efron's... " |
Contestant's Favourite |
2008–09: Post X Factor
Quigg appeared at the Cheerios Childline ConcertChildLine Concert
The ChildLine Concert is an annual pop music charity event which has taken place in Ireland since 1997. As the name suggests the money raised by the concert is donated to the young person's charity, ChildLine and many of the attendants are also children...
at the Dublin O2 in Dublin on 16 December 2008, among big stars including Enrique Iglesias, Anastasia, Boyzone and many more. In December he also appeared on The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
where it was announced that Irish boyband Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
had invited him on their UK and Ireland Better Tour
Better Tour
The Better Tour is a concert tour by Irish boy band, Boyzone and the last one to feature Stephen Gately. They played arenas all over the UK and Germany. This tour began with 2 Northern Irish dates and 2 Irish dates...
.
After Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
won the X Factor, Simon Cowell's Syco Music announced that it intended to sign Quigg, along with Burke, second place JLS, and fourth place Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers
Diana Vickers is an English singer-songwriter, stage actress and fashion designer who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on the fifth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2008...
. On 15 January 2009 it was announced that Quigg had landed a record deal with Syco's parent company Sony BMG. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
later reported that Cowell had revoked his offer to Quigg and that he has been signed to RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
.
2009: First Album
Quigg released his first album titled Eoghan QuiggEoghan Quigg (album)
Eoghan Quigg is the debut studio album by Irish pop singer Eoghan Quigg. It was released on 6 April 2009. Quigg, who finished third in the fifth series of the UK television talent show The X Factor, is the first of the finalists from that series to release a studio album. The album features some...
on 6 April 2009. "28,000 Friends" was recorded as a promo song and a music video was shot, however it was never released as a single. The album charted poorly in the UK, only making number 14 and spending only 3 weeks in the top 100. After some initial success on the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
- where it debuted at Number 1 - the album soon began free-falling and the album spent just a total of 8 weeks on the chart. The album received overwhelmingly bad reviews leading to Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (journalist)
Peter Robinson is a British music journalist. He is the creator of the pop music-based blog Popjustice. Robinson first came to the attention of music fans with his self-published biography/fanzine of The KLF, Justified and Ancient History...
claiming it to be "the worst album in the history of recorded sound" and that it was "so bad that it would count as a new low for popular culture". The album was mainly criticised for its complete lack of any original material, poor production and poor singing performance from Quigg. Following disappointing album sales, Quigg was dropped by RCA Records in July 2009 and currently remains unsigned. On 2 December 2010, Eoghan performed live at Wellington College Belfast
Wellington College Belfast
Wellington College Belfast is a co-educational grammar school located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The current principal is Mr Matthew Pitts. The school was formed when, in 1990, the all-boys' Annadale Grammar School and the all-girls' Carolan Grammar School merged to become a single...
. Lloyd Daniels was supposed to perform but was unable to be there.
Acting career / Television
Quigg got a minor role in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Dani's House
Dani's House
Dani's House is a UK BAFTA-nominated Series produced BBC children's sitcom, starring actress Dani Harmer. The series started broadcast on 26 September 2008, three series have now aired and a fourth is currently being broadcast on CBBC, it started on 16 September 2011. A fifth series was...
, playing himself.
He has also expressed an interest in landing a role in the E4 television series Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
. He also appeared as a guest on the 22 December 2009 edition of Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man
Alan Carr: Chatty Man is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Alan Carr. The award-winning show is on Channel 4. The show features interviews with celebrity guests, sketches, topical chat and music....
and featured as a guest on Harry Hill's TV Burp on 19 February 2011.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Position | Certifications | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
||||
| 2009 | Eoghan Quigg Eoghan Quigg (album) Eoghan Quigg is the debut studio album by Irish pop singer Eoghan Quigg. It was released on 6 April 2009. Quigg, who finished third in the fifth series of the UK television talent show The X Factor, is the first of the finalists from that series to release a studio album. The album features some...
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Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
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| 2008 | "Hero" (with The X Factor finalists) | 1 | 1 | Charity Single Charity record A charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF... |
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| 2009 | "28,000 Friends 28,000 Friends "28,000 Friends" is the debut single by Irish pop singer Eoghan Quigg and is the only single from his self-titled debut album. The album was released on 6 April 2009.-Background information:... " |
96 | 32 | Eoghan Quigg Eoghan Quigg (album) Eoghan Quigg is the debut studio album by Irish pop singer Eoghan Quigg. It was released on 6 April 2009. Quigg, who finished third in the fifth series of the UK television talent show The X Factor, is the first of the finalists from that series to release a studio album. The album features some... |
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| "—" denotes that the release did not chart or was not released in that territory | |||||||||||||||||||||