Leon Jackson
Encyclopedia
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer
-songwriter
. He won the fourth series
of British talent show
The X Factor
in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008. Jackson's debut album, Right Now
(2008) finished the year as the 75th-album in the UK, and included the singles, "Don't Call This Love
", "Creative
" and "Stargazing".
Jackson's debut single, "When You Believe
" was the 92nd best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK, and was the 3rd best-selling of 2007.. Jackson had the best selling single from a British Male Artist in 2007 beating the likes of Mika
, Take That
and Mark Ronson
in the best-selling male category, and being beaten by Leona Lewis
's "Bleeding Love
" and Rihanna
's "Umbrella
" to the number one and number two positions, respectively. Jackson continued to hold the record as the "Best Selling Male X Factor Winner" with a debut single from 2007.
, Scotland. Before pursuing his singing career, he worked as a retail sales assistant with Gap
. He was a fan of contemporary jazz, his hero being Michael Bublé
, and he has stated that during his early years, karate and singing were the only things that made him happy. He got his black belt at the age of 10. Before he appeared on The X Factor, Jackson was planning to attend Edinburgh Napier University, studying architectural technology.
Leon started singing in public in January 2007. He wanted to pursue a career in music so he entered X Factor and, after doing well in the competition, deferred his place at Edinburgh Napier.
, being filmed at the city's Crowne Plaza Hotel
. During the show, he was mentored by Dannii Minogue
. After progressing through the rounds, he reached the final on 15 December 2007, in which he performed a duet with Kylie Minogue
of "Better the Devil You Know
", as well as three other songs. After the public vote, he was declared winner, receiving a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell's company Syco, a division of Sony BMG.
Jackson was an outsider to win the competition, and his victory was described as "the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting." X Factor judge Louis Walsh
later said that Jackson had won the vote by about 10%. A number of viewers complained to watchdog Ofcom
that they were unable to get through to vote for Jackson's rival Rhydian Roberts
, but an Ofcom investigation found that Roberts had not been unfairly disadvantaged. More than 12 Million people watched the final of Leon winning. Jackson described winning as "not Real".
In December 2007, Jackson was invited to perform with Canadian performer Michael Bublé
at Wembley Arena
, singing Bublé's "Home
" because Bublé was so impressed by his singing ability. Jackson later said this had been the highlight of his life, because Bublé is his idol. Leon was the first and so far only X Factor contestant to perform at Wembley while still in the competition. with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Dannii Minogue
emerging as the winning mentor. The
The series hit the headlines even before recording began. Some of the controversy centred upon whether 14 and 15-year-olds should be eligible to enter, and also on the high-profile dismissals of judge Louis Walsh
and presenter Kate Thornton
, to be replaced by choreographer and Grease Is the Word
judge Brian Friedman
and Big Brother's Little Brother host Dermot O'Leary
respectively. Before hiring Freidman and Minogue, Cowell had apparently approached colleague and fellow American Idol
judge Randy Jackson
, and close friend and X Factor mentor Sinitta. Walsh, however, was quickly reinstated, with Friedman becoming the show's choreographer. Jackson's prize as winner was a £1 million recording contract. His first single release was
"When You Believe
", arranged for the finalists by composer Stephen Schwartz
and released to download on 16 December 2007, with the physical format following on 19 December. The single became that year's Christmas Number One in the UK Singles Chart
. The series was Sharon Osbourne's final series as a judge and was replaced the following year
by Girls Aloud star Cheryl Cole
.
On 11 February 2008, Jackson began the "X Factor Live" tour in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast
, Northern Ireland with Rhydian Roberts
, Same Difference
and the eight other finalists from the 2007 show. They continued the tour in other venues around the UK until 21 March when the tour finished at London's Wembley Arena, thus concluding The X Factor 2007.
and Mariah Carey
duet "When You Believe
" went on sale as a download from midnight on Sunday, 16 December 2007 and as a CD on Wednesday, 19 December 2007. The debut single is set to be the fastest-selling single of 2007, with sales predicted to reach 300,000 by Sunday. At Woolworths
the single at its peak was selling 40 copies per minute. Bookmakers reportedly stopped taking bets on who would get the 2007 Christmas number-one single, as "Leon [was] practically guaranteed top spot". "When You Believe" indeed reached number one in the UK on 23 December 2007. This made Jackson the first Scottish artist to achieve a Christmas number one.
Jackson appeared as a celebrity guest on the first live episode of series five of The X Factor on 11 October 2008, to perform the first single, "Don't Call This Love
", from his upcoming album Right Now
. The song was released the next day, and peaked at #3 on the UK singles chart and #8 in Ireland.
Right Now was released on 20 October 2008. It debuted at #4 on the UK Top 40 Albums chart the week of 26 October 2008. It remained in the Top 40 for three weeks total, before slipping out of the Top 40 but remaining in the Top 75 for an additional six weeks. The album debuted on the Ireland Top 75 Albums chart at #7 for the week of 23 October 2008, staying on that chart for a total of five weeks. The second single from the album, "Creative", was released as a download-only purchase in late 2008. It peaked at #94 on 29 November 2008 on the UK Singles chart. The third and final single, "Stargazing", was released to radio stations in January 2009. It was also made available for purchase as a download-only single. The help promote Right Now, Jackson performed on various UK TV Shows such GMTV
, This Morning
and The X Factor
. Jackson's first single When You Believe which reached #1 in the UK was performed by Jackson in December 2007 to help promote the single. He performed it on GMTV
, The X Factor
and This Morning.
In July 2008, Bublé again invited Jackson to join him on stage at the Glasgow SECC
for a duet of "Lost
". In December 2008, Jackson performed at the 2008 Hogmanay
Event in Edinburgh
. However in 2007 Jackson pulled out of the event due to tonsillitis where he would have been playing with Scottish singer Amy MacDonald
.
The album sold 130,000 copies and Jackson was dropped from the Sony BMG label. Jackson proceeded to work with writers who have worked with Paolo Nutini
and James Morrison
. Jackson told The Sun
newspaper that he was focusing on preparing for an upcoming concert tour of the UK, which would take place in May and June 2009.
Scottish singer and songwriter Sandi Thom
had lined up Jackson as a Supporting Guest Act in Glasgow
as part of her Homecoming Scotland 2009 Tour. As of April 2009 half of the concert dates had been cancelled by the management. The reason why the dates were cancelled is unknown, but Leon said he was "gutted" at the cancellations and that it was not his doing. All but two of the joint tour days from England and Wales remained (with support act Same Difference playing a solo tour gig in Portsmouth), while seven of the nine tour dates in Scotland remained.
. Even though Jackson has failed to find another record deal since he got dropped by his label Sony BMG in March 2009, he hopes to release the album independently.
Leon travelled to Los Angeles in May 2010 to work with songwriters to come up with tracks for his new sound. He worked with credible artists, such as Ernie Halter
, to create piano and guitar led songs, as well as writing some himself. Whilst in L.A, he also performed at 'The Gypsy Lounge' with American artists.
In May 2010, Jackson was announced as the 2nd biggest reality TV flop, winning 76% of the 1,300 people polled, losing out only to Steve Brookstein
. He has vowed to never perform When You Believe again, calling his X-Factor success a curse and revealing he was no longer in contact with former mentor Dannii Minogue
or Simon Cowell
subsequent to being dropped by Syco Music. Jackson said he felt "crushed" by Cowell after finding out through the newspaper that Cowell had dropped him. On September 1, 2010, Jackson released a video for his song, "Different Lives".
Jackson then announced a summer tour in 2010 where he would perform his new acoustic sound. The first date was at the Half Moon, Putney, London on 8 June. Leon performed guitar and piano-led songs, which went down well. The second date was at the ABC Glasgow
on 10 July, where he sold out the show and more tickets were put on sale due to popular demand. The final date of the tour was on 31 July at the O2 Academy Birmingham, where Jackson again performed new songs written by himself and American songwriters.
On 16 February 2011, Jackson attended the 2011 BRIT Awards
as part of the Universal Records
after-party. Jackson has been writing new material and taught himself to play the guitar and piano, which he has brought into his new songs. Some of the new songs include 'Never Left The Ground', 'Ode to Isabel', 'The Other Side', 'See It Through Your Eyes' and 'Wounded by Love'. Jackson will debut at least four new songs at several summer festivals in 2011.
The 2011 Scottish New Music Awards were held on 4 September 2011. Jackson performed an acoustic set of new songs.
Jackson is still working on his second studio album.
Following Jackson's X Factor win in 2007, Jackson appeared in his own web series, Leon's Life, which was solely broadcast on the social networking site, Bebo
. The series ran from his win in December 2007 until mid-2008. The series followed the press and television coverage, recording of his debut album, Right Now
(released a year after), and the promotion of the album following his win on The X Factor.
Young Scot Award at Glasgow City Hall for being a positive role model to young people. In 2011, Jackson was the host of the Sunday Mail
2011 Young Scot Awards which were held in August 2011 in Glasgow
at the Glasgow International Hilton Hotel
.
In May 2011, He was nominated at the Johhnie Walker Blue Label "Great" Awards.
Supporting
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
-songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He won the fourth series
The X Factor (UK series 4)
The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007. The first show aired on 18 August 2007 and the series was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007, with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Dannii Minogue emerging as the winning mentor...
of British talent show
Talent show
A talent show is an event where participants perform their talent or talents of acting, singing, dancing, acrobatics, drumming, martial arts, playing an instrument, and other activities to showcase a unique form of talent, sometimes for a reward, trophy or prize...
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 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008. Jackson's debut album, Right Now
Right Now (Leon Jackson album)
Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,...
(2008) finished the year as the 75th-album in the UK, and included the singles, "Don't Call This Love
Don't Call This Love
"Don't Call This Love" is a song by Scottish singer Leon Jackson, released on October 12, 2008 on CD Format and Digital Download. The song is taken from his debut album Right Now and is his second single release after his Christmas number one song "When You Believe" in 2007...
", "Creative
Creative (song)
"Creative" was released in November 2008 as the third single from Leon Jackson's debut album Right Now. To promote the track Jackson appeared on the official BBC Children in Need 2008 show performing the song as a "exclusive" as this was the first time Jackson had performed the track...
" and "Stargazing".
Jackson's debut single, "When You Believe
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with...
" was the 92nd best-selling single of the 2000s in the UK, and was the 3rd best-selling of 2007.. Jackson had the best selling single from a British Male Artist in 2007 beating the likes of Mika
Mika
Mika may refer to:* Mika , a singer-songwriter based in London* FC MIKA, Armenian football team**Mika Stadium-Male given name :* Mika Aaltonen , Finnish football player...
, 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...
and Mark Ronson
Mark Ronson
Mark Daniel Ronson is an English DJ, guitarist, music producer, artist and co-founder of Allido Records. He currently works with his band under the music alias of Mark Ronson & The Business Intl....
in the best-selling male category, and being beaten by Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
's "Bleeding Love
Bleeding Love
"Bleeding Love" is a pop/R&B ballad co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder and produced by Tedder for British singer Leona Lewis's debut album, Spirit. The song is the album's lead single , released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007...
" and Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
's "Umbrella
Umbrella
An umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
" to the number one and number two positions, respectively. Jackson continued to hold the record as the "Best Selling Male X Factor Winner" with a debut single from 2007.
1988–07: Early life
Leon Jackson was born in Whitburn, West LothianWhitburn, West Lothian
Whitburn is a small town in West Lothian, Scotland located halfway between Scotlands's two largest cities being about east of Glasgow and west of Edinburgh...
, Scotland. Before pursuing his singing career, he worked as a retail sales assistant with Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
. He was a fan of contemporary jazz, his hero being Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
, and he has stated that during his early years, karate and singing were the only things that made him happy. He got his black belt at the age of 10. Before he appeared on The X Factor, Jackson was planning to attend Edinburgh Napier University, studying architectural technology.
Leon started singing in public in January 2007. He wanted to pursue a career in music so he entered X Factor and, after doing well in the competition, deferred his place at Edinburgh Napier.
2007–08: The X Factor
In 2007, Leon Jackson auditioned for the fourth series of The X Factor in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, being filmed at the city's Crowne Plaza Hotel
Crowne Plaza Glasgow
Crowne Plaza Glasgow is a high-rise skyscraper in the Finnieston area of Glasgow, Scotland. It is a 4-star hotel on the banks of the River Clyde adjacent to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre and the Clyde Auditorium ....
. During the show, he was mentored by Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
. After progressing through the rounds, he reached the final on 15 December 2007, in which he performed a duet with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
of "Better the Devil You Know
Better the Devil You Know
"Better the Devil You Know" is a dance-pop song written by Stock, Aitken & Waterman for Kylie Minogue's third studio album Rhythm of Love.-Background:...
", as well as three other songs. After the public vote, he was declared winner, receiving a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell's company Syco, a division of Sony BMG.
Jackson was an outsider to win the competition, and his victory was described as "the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting." X Factor judge Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
later said that Jackson had won the vote by about 10%. A number of viewers complained to watchdog Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
that they were unable to get through to vote for Jackson's rival Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
, but an Ofcom investigation found that Roberts had not been unfairly disadvantaged. More than 12 Million people watched the final of Leon winning. Jackson described winning as "not Real".
In December 2007, Jackson was invited to perform with Canadian performer Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé
Michael Steven Bublé is a Canadian singer. He has won several awards, including three Grammy Awards and multiple Juno Awards. His first album reached the top ten in Canada and the UK. He found worldwide commercial success with his 2005 album It's Time, and his 2007 album Call Me Irresponsible was...
at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, singing Bublé's "Home
Home (Michael Bublé song)
"Home" is a song recorded by Canadian pop-jazz musician Michael Bublé. It was released on March 31, 2005, as the second single from his album It's Time. The song was written by Bublé, along with Alan Chang and Amy Foster-Gillies. "Home" was a hit for Bublé in both Canada and the United States,...
" because Bublé was so impressed by his singing ability. Jackson later said this had been the highlight of his life, because Bublé is his idol. Leon was the first and so far only X Factor contestant to perform at Wembley while still in the competition. with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
emerging as the winning mentor. The
The series hit the headlines even before recording began. Some of the controversy centred upon whether 14 and 15-year-olds should be eligible to enter, and also on the high-profile dismissals of judge 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 presenter Kate Thornton
Kate Thornton
Kate Thornton is an English journalist and television presenter. Early in her career, she was notable for her articles at the Daily Mirror and for her role as editor of Smash Hits magazine...
, to be replaced by choreographer and Grease Is the Word
Grease Is the Word
Grease Is the Word was the UK version of NBCs Grease: You're the One that I Want!. It aired during Spring/Summer 2007, and was produced by Syco TV ....
judge Brian Friedman
Brian Friedman
Brian L. Friedman, is an American dancer and choreographer, and has created the choreography for many popular music artists - such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé Knowles and Mariah Carey - as well as for music videos, concert tours and television and film productions.-Early life:Friedman was born in...
and Big Brother's Little Brother host Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
respectively. Before hiring Freidman and Minogue, Cowell had apparently approached colleague and fellow American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
judge Randy Jackson
Randy Jackson
Randall Darius "Randy" Jackson is an American bassist, singer, record producer, music manager, A&R executive, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is best known as a judge on American Idol and executive producer for MTV's America's Best Dance Crew...
, and close friend and X Factor mentor Sinitta. Walsh, however, was quickly reinstated, with Friedman becoming the show's choreographer. Jackson's prize as winner was a £1 million recording contract. His first single release was
"When You Believe
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with...
", arranged for the finalists by composer Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over four decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as Godspell , Pippin and Wicked...
and released to download on 16 December 2007, with the physical format following on 19 December. The single became that year's Christmas Number One in the UK Singles Chart
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 ...
. The series was Sharon Osbourne's final series as a judge and was replaced the following year
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...
by Girls Aloud star 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...
.
On 11 February 2008, Jackson began the "X Factor Live" tour in the Odyssey Arena in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland with Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
, Same Difference
Same Difference
Same Difference can refer to:* Same Difference, a British singing duo* Same Difference , an album by Swedish death metal band Entombed* Same Difference , a show which aired on Channel 4...
and the eight other finalists from the 2007 show. They continued the tour in other venues around the UK until 21 March when the tour finished at London's Wembley Arena, thus concluding The X Factor 2007.
2008–09: When You Believe and Right Now
Jackson's debut single, a cover of the Whitney HoustonWhitney Houston
Whitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
and 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...
duet "When You Believe
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with...
" went on sale as a download from midnight on Sunday, 16 December 2007 and as a CD on Wednesday, 19 December 2007. The debut single is set to be the fastest-selling single of 2007, with sales predicted to reach 300,000 by Sunday. At Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
the single at its peak was selling 40 copies per minute. Bookmakers reportedly stopped taking bets on who would get the 2007 Christmas number-one single, as "Leon [was] practically guaranteed top spot". "When You Believe" indeed reached number one in the UK on 23 December 2007. This made Jackson the first Scottish artist to achieve a Christmas number one.
Jackson appeared as a celebrity guest on the first live episode of series five of The X Factor on 11 October 2008, to perform the first single, "Don't Call This Love
Don't Call This Love
"Don't Call This Love" is a song by Scottish singer Leon Jackson, released on October 12, 2008 on CD Format and Digital Download. The song is taken from his debut album Right Now and is his second single release after his Christmas number one song "When You Believe" in 2007...
", from his upcoming album Right Now
Right Now (Leon Jackson album)
Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,...
. The song was released the next day, and peaked at #3 on the UK singles chart and #8 in Ireland.
Right Now was released on 20 October 2008. It debuted at #4 on the UK Top 40 Albums chart the week of 26 October 2008. It remained in the Top 40 for three weeks total, before slipping out of the Top 40 but remaining in the Top 75 for an additional six weeks. The album debuted on the Ireland Top 75 Albums chart at #7 for the week of 23 October 2008, staying on that chart for a total of five weeks. The second single from the album, "Creative", was released as a download-only purchase in late 2008. It peaked at #94 on 29 November 2008 on the UK Singles chart. The third and final single, "Stargazing", was released to radio stations in January 2009. It was also made available for purchase as a download-only single. The help promote Right Now, Jackson performed on various UK TV Shows such GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, This Morning
This Morning (TV series)
This Morning is a British daytime television programme broadcast on ITV. As of September 2011, its main presenters are Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, with various other presenters standing in for illness or contributing to sections of the programme.The...
and 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...
. Jackson's first single When You Believe which reached #1 in the UK was performed by Jackson in December 2007 to help promote the single. He performed it on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, 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...
and This Morning.
In July 2008, Bublé again invited Jackson to join him on stage at the Glasgow SECC
Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre
The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre , located on the north bank of the River Clyde, in Glasgow, is Scotland's largest exhibition centre....
for a duet of "Lost
Lost (Michael Bublé song)
"Lost" is the third single from Michael Bublé's third studio album, Call Me Irresponsible. The song was inspired by the breakup with his former fiancée Debbie Timuss. Bublé performed the song on The X Factor on December 8, 2007. The song was featured in the sixth season of American police...
". In December 2008, Jackson performed at the 2008 Hogmanay
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year in the Scottish manner...
Event in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
. However in 2007 Jackson pulled out of the event due to tonsillitis where he would have been playing with Scottish singer Amy MacDonald
Amy Macdonald (singer)
Amy Macdonald is a Scottish recording artist. Macdonald rose to fame in 2007 with her debut album, This Is the Life and its fourth single, "This Is the Life". The single charted at number one in six different countries worldwide, and charted inside the top ten in another eleven countries worldwide...
.
The album sold 130,000 copies and Jackson was dropped from the Sony BMG label. Jackson proceeded to work with writers who have worked with Paolo Nutini
Paolo Nutini
Paolo Giovanni Nutini is a Scottish singer, songwriter and musician from Paisley. His father is of Italian descent, from Barga, Tuscany, although both his parents are Scottish, his family having been in Scotland for three generations....
and James Morrison
James Morrison (singer)
James Morrison is a BRIT Award-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered, debuted at the...
. Jackson told 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...
newspaper that he was focusing on preparing for an upcoming concert tour of the UK, which would take place in May and June 2009.
Scottish singer and songwriter Sandi Thom
Sandi Thom
Alexandria "Sandi" Thom is a Scottish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She became widely known in 2006 after a series of webcasts and the success of the single "I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker ".-1984–2004: Early life:Thom was born in Banff, Aberdeenshire...
had lined up Jackson as a Supporting Guest Act in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
as part of her Homecoming Scotland 2009 Tour. As of April 2009 half of the concert dates had been cancelled by the management. The reason why the dates were cancelled is unknown, but Leon said he was "gutted" at the cancellations and that it was not his doing. All but two of the joint tour days from England and Wales remained (with support act Same Difference playing a solo tour gig in Portsmouth), while seven of the nine tour dates in Scotland remained.
2010–present: Departure from Sony and second album
In 2009, Jackson confirmed that he was working on a brand new studio album which would be more acoustic in style, different from the jazz and soul genre of his debut album Right NowRight Now (Leon Jackson album)
Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,...
. Even though Jackson has failed to find another record deal since he got dropped by his label Sony BMG in March 2009, he hopes to release the album independently.
Leon travelled to Los Angeles in May 2010 to work with songwriters to come up with tracks for his new sound. He worked with credible artists, such as Ernie Halter
Ernie Halter
Ernie Halter is an American singer/songwriter. He is currently signed on Rock Ridge Music.Born in Inglewood, CA in 1974 and raised in Orange County, Halter started playing piano when he was 8, guitar when he was 14, and writing his own songs when he was 16. His first disc Lo-Fidelity came out in...
, to create piano and guitar led songs, as well as writing some himself. Whilst in L.A, he also performed at 'The Gypsy Lounge' with American artists.
In May 2010, Jackson was announced as the 2nd biggest reality TV flop, winning 76% of the 1,300 people polled, losing out only to Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein
Steve Brookstein is an English jazz and soul singer, who rose to fame in the UK in 2004 after winning the first series of The X Factor...
. He has vowed to never perform When You Believe again, calling his X-Factor success a curse and revealing he was no longer in contact with former mentor Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
or 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...
subsequent to being dropped by Syco Music. Jackson said he felt "crushed" by Cowell after finding out through the newspaper that Cowell had dropped him. On September 1, 2010, Jackson released a video for his song, "Different Lives".
Jackson then announced a summer tour in 2010 where he would perform his new acoustic sound. The first date was at the Half Moon, Putney, London on 8 June. Leon performed guitar and piano-led songs, which went down well. The second date was at the ABC Glasgow
ABC Glasgow
The O2 ABC is a nightclub and music venue on Sauchiehall Street, in the centre of Glasgow, Scotland's largest city. The building was constructed in 1875 but was largely rebuilt in the 1920s. It had been put to a number of uses before being converted for its current purpose between 2002 and 2005. In...
on 10 July, where he sold out the show and more tickets were put on sale due to popular demand. The final date of the tour was on 31 July at the O2 Academy Birmingham, where Jackson again performed new songs written by himself and American songwriters.
On 16 February 2011, Jackson attended the 2011 BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
as part of the Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
after-party. Jackson has been writing new material and taught himself to play the guitar and piano, which he has brought into his new songs. Some of the new songs include 'Never Left The Ground', 'Ode to Isabel', 'The Other Side', 'See It Through Your Eyes' and 'Wounded by Love'. Jackson will debut at least four new songs at several summer festivals in 2011.
The 2011 Scottish New Music Awards were held on 4 September 2011. Jackson performed an acoustic set of new songs.
Jackson is still working on his second studio album.
Other ventures
Jackson supports the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), a Scottish charity established to provide hospice services in Scotland for children and young people with life-limiting conditions. According to Jackson's own website: “As far as team Leon is concerned music is about life not the other way round. It’s a privilege to be able use your gifting to bring joy to people, travelling and paying the bills is a bonus".Following Jackson's X Factor win in 2007, Jackson appeared in his own web series, Leon's Life, which was solely broadcast on the social networking site, Bebo
Bebo
Bebo is a social networking website launched in July 2005. It is currently owned and operated by Criterion Capital Partners after taking over from AOL in June 2010....
. The series ran from his win in December 2007 until mid-2008. The series followed the press and television coverage, recording of his debut album, Right Now
Right Now (Leon Jackson album)
Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,...
(released a year after), and the promotion of the album following his win on The X Factor.
Award show appearances
In April 2008, Leon Jackson was awarded the Sunday MailSunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
Young Scot Award at Glasgow City Hall for being a positive role model to young people. In 2011, Jackson was the host of the Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
The Sunday Mail is a Scottish tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is the sister paper of the Daily Record and is owned by Trinity Mirror and as such has a left-wing outlook which in turn tends to guide Scottish political debate in that direction.The Sunday Mail is read by over one million...
2011 Young Scot Awards which were held in August 2011 in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
at the Glasgow International Hilton Hotel
Glasgow International Hilton Hotel
Hilton Glasgow Hotel is a 20-storey high-rise hotel in Glasgow, Scotland. It is Glasgow's only five-star hotel. It is located eight miles from Glasgow International Airport and three blocks away from Glasgow City Centre. The hotel can be seen in the Glasgow Skyline. It is located in Anderston...
.
In May 2011, He was nominated at the Johhnie Walker Blue Label "Great" Awards.
Concert Tours
Headlining- The X Factor 2008 Tour (2008)
- Right Now (2009)
- Live & Acoustic 2010 Summer Tour (2010)
- Watchet music festival (2011)
Supporting
- Sandi Thom 2009 Homecoming Scotland Tour (Support act in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
IRE 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... |
SCO Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
EU |
||||||||||
| Right Now Right Now (Leon Jackson album) Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,... |
|
4 | 7 | | 1 | — |
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... : Gold Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... : Platinum |
|||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released | |||||||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRL | EU | ||||
| 2007 | "When You Believe" | 1 | 1 | 4 |
|
Right Now Right Now (Leon Jackson album) Right Now is the debut album by Scottish Jazz singer Leon Jackson, released on October 20, 2008 on Syco Music. Jackson described the album as "a mixture in styles of modern jazz with singer-songwriter elements, and a lot of it is really soulful." The album was released via Syco Music and Sony BMG,... |
| 2008 | "Don't Call This Love Don't Call This Love "Don't Call This Love" is a song by Scottish singer Leon Jackson, released on October 12, 2008 on CD Format and Digital Download. The song is taken from his debut album Right Now and is his second single release after his Christmas number one song "When You Believe" in 2007... " |
3 | 8 | 10 | ||
| "Creative Creative (song) "Creative" was released in November 2008 as the third single from Leon Jackson's debut album Right Now. To promote the track Jackson appeared on the official BBC Children in Need 2008 show performing the song as a "exclusive" as this was the first time Jackson had performed the track... " |
94 | — | — | |||
| 2009 | "Stargazing" | — | — | — | ||
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "When You Believe" | Unknown |
| 2008 | "Don't Call This Love" | |
| "Creative" | Unknown |
See also
- List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart