Eton Road
Encyclopedia
Eton Road was a group from Liverpool
that took part in 2006 in the third series of the British The X Factor
. The band, stylized as Eton Rd during the show's captions was originally made up of Anthony Hannah, Danny Morris, David Heath and James Edwards. Eton Road was eliminated after week 7 in the live shows, finishing fifth overall.
After elimination, In 2007, Anthony Hannah the lead singer quit the band and was replaced for a while by Marcus Collins (a future contestant in the eight series of The X Factor). Marcus stayed for 10 months with the band before leaving, with the remaining members of the band Heath, Edwards and Morris carrying on as a trio. In October 2008 Eton Road announced that they had split on the official Myspace site of the band.
Anthony Hannah, had appeared on Top of the Pops
on 13 September 2003, performing "Spirit in the Sky
" live with Gareth Gates
after winning the opportunity in a competition. And while still 14, he had taken part in Stars in Their Eyes Kids
, performing as Robbie Williams
.
The band sang the following songs during competition:
The boy band proved very popular with the fans.They came in the bottom two for the first time on 18 November 2006 (week 6 of the live shows), but were saved by Simon Cowell
to go to the next round. On 25 November 2006, they were in the bottom two again, but were eliminated by Cowell, who had the deciding vote on both occasions.
In September 2007, Eton Road's official website and MySpace site were launched. Their debut single, "Wishing", received its first airplay on 4 October 2007 on a local Liverpool late night radio show, though they had not yet signed to a record label. The single, "Wishing", was released in January 2008 and reached #5 on the IndieStore.com charts.
In January 2008 they were signed by Malcom Feld. In February 2008, they appeared in the charity album Liverpool – The Number Ones Album with a cover of The Beatles
"From Me to You
". The lead singer Anthony Hannah (who had left by the time) contributed a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
classic "Relax
".
In March 2008, Marcus Collins decided to leave the band to continue a solo career. Eton Road continued for a few months more as a trio. They released a new CD single in September 2008 entitled "Someone To Love" with proceeds of the limited release going for ECHO's Liverpool Unites campaign and to Rhys Jones Memorial Fund, an 11-year old young man murdered in Liverpool. Eton Road also performed during the "Concert For Rhys"
The band called it quits at the end of 2008.
Appearances
Ex-Members
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
that took part in 2006 in the third series of the British 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...
. The band, stylized as Eton Rd during the show's captions was originally made up of Anthony Hannah, Danny Morris, David Heath and James Edwards. Eton Road was eliminated after week 7 in the live shows, finishing fifth overall.
After elimination, In 2007, Anthony Hannah the lead singer quit the band and was replaced for a while by Marcus Collins (a future contestant in the eight series of The X Factor). Marcus stayed for 10 months with the band before leaving, with the remaining members of the band Heath, Edwards and Morris carrying on as a trio. In October 2008 Eton Road announced that they had split on the official Myspace site of the band.
Beginnings
The four original members of Eton Road had known each other since while attending Liverpool's Chiltern Casting dance school when they were younger. The band name derives from Eaton Road, where the school was located in Liverpool, with a slight change in spelling from Eaton to Eton. All four had been singing for a number of years in shows, competitions and various night venues.Anthony Hannah, had appeared on Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
on 13 September 2003, performing "Spirit in the Sky
Spirit in the Sky
"Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in 1969. The single sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970 and reached number three in the U.S. Billboard chart, as well as number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970. Rolling Stone...
" live with Gareth Gates
Gareth Gates
Gareth Paul Gates , is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK alone. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly...
after winning the opportunity in a competition. And while still 14, he had taken part in Stars in Their Eyes Kids
Stars In Their Eyes
Stars in Their Eyes is a British television talent show that ran on Saturdays nights from 21 July 1990 until 23 December 2006 in which contestants impersonate showbiz stars...
, performing as Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
.
The X Factor
Eton Road was formed as a group just five days prior to auditions in an aim to take part in The X Factor. From their first audition, Simon Cowell branded Anthony Hannah as "the odd one" in reference to his distinct look.The band sang the following songs during competition:
- Week 1: "My Girl" by The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
- Week 2: "This Old Heart of MineThis Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)"This Old Heart of Mine " is an Isley Brothers song from 1966 that was a hit for them during their brief tenure on Motown's Tamla label...
" by The Isley BrothersThe Isley BrothersThe Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper... - Week 3: "Mack the KnifeMack the Knife"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the...
" by Bobby DarinBobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country... - Week 4: "Does Your Mother KnowDoes 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:...
" by ABBAABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog... - Week 5: "From Me to YouFrom Me to You"From Me to You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles as a single in 1963. The single was the Beatles' first number one in some of the United Kingdom charts, second in others, but failed to make an impact in the United States at the time of its initial...
" by The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr... - Week 6: "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'I Don't Feel like Dancin'"I Don't Feel Like Dancin" is the first single from the second album by the American pop band Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah. It was written with Elton John, who provides piano for the song, and was the band's first top ten single in Australia and Canada. The song was written by Elton John, Scott Hoffman...
" by Scissor SistersScissor SistersScissor Sisters are an American band "spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York" who took their name from a sexual position between two women also known as tribadism... - Week 7: "Everybody Needs Somebody to LoveEverybody Needs Somebody to Love"Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a song written by Bert Berns, Solomon Burke and Jerry Wexler, and originally recorded by Solomon Burke under the production of Bert Berns at Atlantic Records in 1964...
" by Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
and "Can You Feel the Love TonightCan You Feel the Love Tonight250px|thumb|right|Simba and Nala embrace during the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence."Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film, The Lion King, composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. It was described by Don Hahn , Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff as...
" by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
The boy band proved very popular with the fans.They came in the bottom two for the first time on 18 November 2006 (week 6 of the live shows), but were saved 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...
to go to the next round. On 25 November 2006, they were in the bottom two again, but were eliminated by Cowell, who had the deciding vote on both occasions.
After X Factor
After The X Factor, Eton Road performed at over 300 gigs and had a very big fan base. In August 2007 Anthony Hannah left the band and was replaced with 19-year-old Marcus Collins.In September 2007, Eton Road's official website and MySpace site were launched. Their debut single, "Wishing", received its first airplay on 4 October 2007 on a local Liverpool late night radio show, though they had not yet signed to a record label. The single, "Wishing", was released in January 2008 and reached #5 on the IndieStore.com charts.
In January 2008 they were signed by Malcom Feld. In February 2008, they appeared in the charity album Liverpool – The Number Ones Album with a cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
"From Me to You
From Me to You
"From Me to You" is a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released by The Beatles as a single in 1963. The single was the Beatles' first number one in some of the United Kingdom charts, second in others, but failed to make an impact in the United States at the time of its initial...
". The lead singer Anthony Hannah (who had left by the time) contributed a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
classic "Relax
Relax (song)
"Relax" is the debut single by British dance group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in 1983. The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome ....
".
In March 2008, Marcus Collins decided to leave the band to continue a solo career. Eton Road continued for a few months more as a trio. They released a new CD single in September 2008 entitled "Someone To Love" with proceeds of the limited release going for ECHO's Liverpool Unites campaign and to Rhys Jones Memorial Fund, an 11-year old young man murdered in Liverpool. Eton Road also performed during the "Concert For Rhys"
The band called it quits at the end of 2008.
Ex-members after split
- Anthony Hannah has gigged up and down the country, including appearances at London's biggest gay club, G-A-YG-A-YG-A-Y is a gay nightclub in London. It operated from the London Astoria music venue for 15 years until July 2008. The Boston Globe described it as "London's largest gay-themed club night", NME reported that it "attracts 6,000 clubbers each week", and The Independent described it as "the one London...
.Anthony did a one off gig for his fans in the Wirral, in 2009. Anthony was also rumoured to appear in Mersey Shore, a spin off of Jersey ShoreJersey Shore (TV series)Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
. He also continued recording in studio. He is openly gay, and reports said he had Harry Derbridge, of The Only Way Is EssexThe Only Way Is EssexThe Only Way Is Essex, is a British BAFTA award-winning semi-reality show based in Essex, England. It shows "real people in modified situations, saying unscripted lines but in a structured way."...
as a boyfriend. Mersey Shore is based around their relationship. - Danny Morris launched a solo career. In October 2008, he performed at the Big Brother Halloween Party in Leicester, he switched on Christmas lights in and around Liverpool with Juice FM in November, and in December 2008 he performed alongside Diana Vickers and Ruth Lorenzo (2008 X Factor finalists) in the Pop Factory Tour. He is now signed to o9 Management in Liverpool. Danny Morris toured with his Overload Tour also performing at St George's Hall in Liverpool in May 2009. He also released the singles "Scream" and "Run Out".
- David Heath took part in a pantomime production Dick Whittington in 2009. He also organized various dancing sessions for youth in Liverpool. In 2011, he entered a dance competition on Sky One.
- Marcus Collins is now pursuing a solo career and writing new material to perform with a 10-piece band. In 2011, Collins auditioned for the eighthThe X Factor (UK series 8)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
series of The X Factor, and made it to the live finals. The Sun newspaper revealed that David Heath and Marcus Collins were in a relationship.
Discography
- 2007: "Wishing" (single)
- 2008: "Someone to Love" (single)
Appearances
- 2008: "From Me to You" (Eton Road in an album track on Liverpool – The Number Ones Album
- 2008: "Relax" (Anthony Hannnah in an album track on Liverpool – The Number Ones Album
External links
Ex-Members