Olly Murs
Encyclopedia
Oliver Stanley "Olly" Murs (born 14 May 1984 in Essex
, England
) is an English
singer-songwriter
and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series
of The X Factor
. He is currently signed to Epic Records
and Syco Music.
After being announced the runner up of The X Factor, Murs announced he had signed a joint record deal between Epic Records and Syco Music, and would record a debut album. In late August 2010, Murs released his first solo single "Please Don't Let Me Go
", which debuted at number-one on the UK Singles Charts, becoming Murs' second number one single after releasing "You Are Not Alone" with the other series six finalists. "Please Don't Let Me Go" received a Silver certification by the BPI
. He released his second single from the album "Thinking of Me
" which charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts, however the single also got a Silver certification by the BPI. "Heart Skips a Beat
" was released and became his third number-one hit.
Murs released his self-titled debut album in November 2010, Olly Murs
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album went on to sell over 600,000 copies, and was certificated double platinum by the BPI. He is due to release his second upcoming album in November 2011, with the first single release from the album titled "Heart Skips a Beat
" which features hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks
. In May 2011, it was announced that Murs would return to The X Factor
to co-present spin-off show The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack
. It was also confirmed that Murs would present a Celebrity Club Classic show on Heart FM.
then Notley High School
in Braintree
, Essex where he was a striker in the school's football team. He is a supporter of Manchester United
, and played semi-professionally for Witham Town
. He gave up his football career following an injury. Prior to The X Factor, Murs worked as a recruitment consultant at Prime Appointments in Witham. He also appeared on the TV show Deal or No Deal
and has played in Soccer Aid
for charity early in 2010.
" in his first audition and Simon Cowell
said it was "the easiest yes I've ever given". On the first live show he sang "She's the One" and on the second, "A Fool in Love
", a performance which Cowell described as being "in a different league." For week three he took on "Bewitched". Walsh commented that he was the "dark horse of the competition," and Cole said he was "coming into his own each week." He frequently employed dance moves in his performance including his trademark "Olly wiggle." In week 4 he sang "Come Together
" and again received positive comments, with Walsh predicting, "I think you're in the final three," and Cowell saying he was "progressing better than just about everybody." In week 5 he performed "Twist and Shout
" and in week 6 "Don't Stop Me Now
", after which he was labelled by Minogue as, "absolutely the best performer we have on the show by far."
After a performance of "Fastlove
", he was in the bottom two in week 7, with John & Edward
. Cowell and Cheryl Cole
decided to send John & Edward home, but Louis Walsh
voted against Murs. Dannii Minogue
then decided against taking the judges' vote to deadlock and sent home John & Edward. When the voting statistics were later released on itv.com
, they revealed that if Minogue had voted to save John & Edward and taken it to deadlock, Murs would have been sent home on popular vote, as John & Edward gained 10.7% of the popular vote against just 9.8% to Murs. In the semi-finals Murs had to miss the wedding of his brother. The ceremony took place just 16 miles from the show's studio, but mentor Cowell was against letting him off for a few hours on the crucial semi-final day. He sang "Can You Feel It
" and "We Can Work It Out
" in the semi-final and ended up as one of the three finalists, breaking down in tears upon hearing the result.
In the final on 12 December, he repeated his audition song, "Supersition", following which Cowell said putting him in the final 12 was "the best risk I have ever taken in my life". Murs then sang with Robbie Williams
on a duet of "Angels", in which Williams fluffed his lines as he walked on stage to join Murs and came in at the wrong time, singing the second line of the song, but was helped by Murs to find the right spot. There was then a repeat performance of his week 2 song "Fool in Love". Murs qualified for the final two and first sang a repeat performance of "Twist and Shout
", following which Walsh commented, "You're a born, born showman and no matter what happens tonight you're going to have a great career in music." In his final performance on the show he performed the winner's song, "The Climb
", finishing it in tears. He was told by Cole, "You absolutely tore it from your soul. I've never heard you sing like that. I thought it was a beautiful version of the song." He lost the final to Joe McElderry the next day and finished as the runner-up.
On 15 December, two days after the final, it was reported that Cowell was going to offer Murs a record deal in early 2010. Following his defeat, Murs was reportedly texted by duet partner Robbie Williams and invited to visit him in his Los Angeles mansion and participate in the upcoming Soccer Aid
, organised by Williams. Olly performed in the X Factor tour, alongside Joe McElderry
, John & Edward
, Stacey Soloman Lucie Jones and several other finalists. It was later revealed on The Xtra Factor that Murs was predicted by all the judges and presenters (except Minogue who said Nicole Jackson and Cole who said Miss Frank as a second choice) as the favourite to win the series at the Boot Camp stage. As with all other finalists save the winner, Murs began gigging around the country following the end of the show. A fight broke out at one New Year's Eve
gig in London prompted by enthusiastic fans. He was also booked to appear at the engagement party of model Danielle Lloyd
. Footage of Murs appearing on Deal or No Deal
was later featured in an edition of the BBC's Almost Famous on 2 January 2010.
. After the rumours broke out, Murs announced he signed a joint record deal between Epic Records
and Syco Music in February 2010. It was announced that Murs began working with John Shanks
and Eg White
. It was later confirmed that Roy Stride, Trevor Horn
, Wayne Hector
and Matty Benbrook would have involvement on the album which he collaborated with to make the "best possible songs". More writers and producers were confirmed to be working with Murs in the studio including; Phil Thornalley
, Martin Brammer, Samuel Preston, Mark Taylor
. and Chris Difford
Professor Green
was due to appear on the album, however, the duet fell through before recording was completed. "Heart on My Sleeve" is a cover of the song originally recorded by American Idol
finalist Michael Johns
.
Murs confirmed the first single from the album to be titled "Please Don't Let Me Go
", which was released on 27 August 2010 following the circulation of the accompanying music video. The song was written by Murs himself and with other songwriters, Claude Kelly
and Steve Robson
; the single was also produced by Future Cut
. The song is about a minor relationship Murs was in where he ended up feeling something for the other person. Murs commented: "Sadly she kept giving me the impression that she didn't like me as much, and ultimately it didn't work out, so that's where the idea of me singing 'Please Don't Let Me Go' came from." The song was described as "a lovely summery reggae
-tinged pop tune that bobs along in a thoroughly hummable and not un-Will Young
-like fashion" and said that the music video "is just as quintessentially pleasant". During the release, Murs was told not to get his hopes up for a number-one due to Katy Perry
releasing "Teenage Dream
" the same day. On 5 September 2010, the single entered the UK Singles Charts at number 1 beating Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". The song was released with the B-side track, entitled "This One's for the Girls" also entered the UK Singles Charts, debuting at number 69, was written for all of his female fans.
His debut album was released in November 2010; which was a self-titled album, Olly Murs
. The album's tracking list was revealed on 15 October 2010. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album also charted on the Irish Albums Chart
where it found itself peaking at number eleven. The second single will be "Thinking of Me", written by Murs, Steve Robson
and Hector, and co-produced by Future Cut and Steve Robson
. It is due to be released on 21 November 2010, prior to the album's release. It was reported that Professor Green
would feature on the single, however, the duet fell through before it was completed. The single was added to BBC Radio 1
's C Playlist on 3 November 2010. Murs performed the single for the first time on The X Factor
. Upon the release the single charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts and thirteen on the Irish Singles Charts. On 13 November Murs turned the Christmas lights on in the Scottish town Paisley
and he also turned on the Christmas lights near his hometown in Chelmsford
, Essex. Renfrew Council was criticised in the media for the £
15,000 fee that Murs was paid to turn on the lights, after announcing that they were axing 500 jobs. Olly has now started his 2011 UK Tour starting in Rhyl, Wales on the 26th April.
is always a favourite, or maybe Vanilla Ice
, "Ice Ice Baby
" is a classic." Murs also confirmed that he would like to record a duet with Robbie Williams
on the album, like he performed with him on The X Factor Live Final. Murs also revealed that he will build himself a more of a "soulful" sound. He said that the second album is really different to the first single of the album. He said the first single is a summer song, but the album's completely different. It has recently been revealed that the name of Olly's second album is "In Case You Didn't Know".
Murs confirmed that the first single from the album would be called "Heart Skips a Beat", the lead single from the album; which peaked at number one on the 28th August 2011, giving Murs his second number one single. The song was confirmed the feature rapping duo, Rizzle Kicks
. The song premiered on The Chris Moyles Show
on July, 7 2011 and has been well received by fans. The video was released by Murs onto his official YouTube
. Murs said that the song is one of his favourite tracks of his new album; saying, "I'm loving the tune at the moment. It's going down really, really well." It was confirmed that Murs would return to The X Factor
to present the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor however, he would co-present alongside Caroline Flack
.
On 19 September 2011, Olly announced through twitter that his second album would be Titled 'In Case You Didn't Know' with a song by the same name on the album. 'In Case You Didn't Know' will be released on the 28th November 2011.
On 29 September 2011, Olly won the award for "Best Male Artist" at the BT Digital Music Awards
On 9 October 2011, Olly Murs won the 'Best Album' award at the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards, a series of awards that are nominated by teenagers. Olly Murs was the favourite for his album 'Olly Murs.'
On 14 October 2011, Murs released 'Dance With Me Tonight' on his YouTube Channel
On 28 October 2011, Olly was the first artist to be confirmed to play at Capital FM's Jinglebell Ball 2011.
On 10 November, Olly turned on the Christmas Lights in Bristol's mall. 7,000 fans attended and after Olly gave all his fans an exclusive live performance. One of the performances were an exclusive, which was his brand new single, Dance With Me Tonight. It was the first time Olly had performed this song live.
Red Nose Day campaign. The celebrities spent five days in the Kaisut desert in north Kenya
, covering 100 kilometre in temperatures up to 40°C. On 2 April 2011, Murs appeared in a celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and won £10,000 for charity. On 4 April 2011 for one week, Murs stood in for Comedy Dave Vitty on The Chris Moyles Show
on BBC Radio 1
while Vitty was rehearsing for Dancing on Ice
. In 2011, Murs appeared on CBBC
's children's hidden camera show Remote Control Star. At the end of May 2011, Murs presented a Celebrity Club Classics show on Heart FM. On 31 May 2011 it was confirmed Olly would be co presenting the eighth series of The Xtra Factor alongside Caroline Flack
.
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and TV presenter. Murs rose to fame after being the runner-up on the sixth series
The X Factor (UK series 6)
The sixth series of British television music competition The X Factor started on ITV on 22 August 2009 and was won by Joe McElderry on 13 December 2009. Cheryl Cole emerged as the winning mentor for the second consecutive year, the first time in the show's history that a mentor has won back-to-back...
of 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...
. He is currently signed to Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and Syco Music.
After being announced the runner up of The X Factor, Murs announced he had signed a joint record deal between Epic Records and Syco Music, and would record a debut album. In late August 2010, Murs released his first solo single "Please Don't Let Me Go
Please Don't Let Me Go
"Please Don't Let Me Go" is a song by British singer Olly Murs. Written by Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson, the song served as the lead single from the X Factor runner-up's eponymous debut album...
", which debuted at number-one on the UK Singles Charts, becoming Murs' second number one single after releasing "You Are Not Alone" with the other series six finalists. "Please Don't Let Me Go" received a Silver certification by the BPI
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
. He released his second single from the album "Thinking of Me
Thinking of Me
"Thinking of Me" is a pop song by British singer Olly Murs, taken from his debut studio album, Olly Murs. It is written by Murs, Wayne Hector and Steve Robson, and was released as Murs's second single on 19 November 2010...
" which charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts, however the single also got a Silver certification by the BPI. "Heart Skips a Beat
Heart Skips a Beat
-Charts:-Release history:...
" was released and became his third number-one hit.
Murs released his self-titled debut album in November 2010, Olly Murs
Olly Murs (album)
-Charts:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Tour:On 21 November 2010 a UK tour was announced for 2011 to promote the album.-Release history:...
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
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...
at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album went on to sell over 600,000 copies, and was certificated double platinum by the BPI. He is due to release his second upcoming album in November 2011, with the first single release from the album titled "Heart Skips a Beat
Heart Skips a Beat
-Charts:-Release history:...
" which features hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks are a Brithop duo from Southend, Essex, consisting of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens , and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule...
. In May 2011, it was announced that Murs would return to 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...
to co-present spin-off show The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
. It was also confirmed that Murs would present a Celebrity Club Classic show on Heart FM.
Early and personal life
Olly Murs was born to Vicky and Pete Murs, who is of Latvian descent. He has a twin brother, Ben (Olly is the older twin) and a sister, Fay. He attended Howbridge Junior School in WithamWitham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
then Notley High School
Notley High School
Notley High School is situated in Braintree in Essex, England. It is for 11–16 year olds. There is currently a lack of places available to children who live outside of the catchment area....
in Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
, Essex where he was a striker in the school's football team. He is a supporter of Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, and played semi-professionally for Witham Town
Witham Town F.C.
Witham Town F.C. is an English football club based in Witham, Essex. The club are currently members of the Essex Senior League and play at Spa Road.-History:...
. He gave up his football career following an injury. Prior to The X Factor, Murs worked as a recruitment consultant at Prime Appointments in Witham. He also appeared on the TV show Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (UK game show)
Deal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show format Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds. 1,758 shows have been aired...
and has played in Soccer Aid
Soccer Aid
-Event schedule:*22 May 2006 – Start of the television coverage, presented by Ant and Dec. Rest of the World defeats England in a penalty shoot-out*23 May 2006 – Practice match: England 1–0 England Legends...
for charity early in 2010.
2009–2010: The X Factor
He performed "SuperstitionSuperstition (song)
"Superstition" is a popular song written, produced, arranged, and performed by Stevie Wonder for Motown Records in 1972, when Wonder was 22 years old. It was the lead single for Wonder's Talking Book album, and released in many countries. It reached number one in the USA, and number one on the soul...
" in his first audition and 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...
said it was "the easiest yes I've ever given". On the first live show he sang "She's the One" and on the second, "A Fool in Love
A Fool in Love
" A Fool in Love" is a soul single released as the debuting single for Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1960 on the Sue Records label.-Production history:...
", a performance which Cowell described as being "in a different league." For week three he took on "Bewitched". Walsh commented that he was the "dark horse of the competition," and Cole said he was "coming into his own each week." He frequently employed dance moves in his performance including his trademark "Olly wiggle." In week 4 he sang "Come Together
Come Together
"Come Together" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is the opening track on The Beatles' September 1969 album Abbey Road....
" and again received positive comments, with Walsh predicting, "I think you're in the final three," and Cowell saying he was "progressing better than just about everybody." In week 5 he performed "Twist and Shout
Twist and Shout
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
" and in week 6 "Don't Stop Me Now
Don't Stop Me Now
"Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by English rock group Queen, featured on their 1978 album Jazz. Written by vocalist Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August/September 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes , France, and is the twelfth track on the album.Musically, the song is based around...
", after which he was labelled by Minogue as, "absolutely the best performer we have on the show by far."
After a performance of "Fastlove
Fastlove
"Fastlove" is a song by George Michael, released by Virgin Records in the United Kingdom and Dreamworks Records in the United States in 1996.-History:...
", he was in the bottom two in week 7, with John & Edward
Jedward
John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
. Cowell 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...
decided to send John & Edward home, but Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
voted against Murs. Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
then decided against taking the judges' vote to deadlock and sent home John & Edward. When the voting statistics were later released on itv.com
Itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
, they revealed that if Minogue had voted to save John & Edward and taken it to deadlock, Murs would have been sent home on popular vote, as John & Edward gained 10.7% of the popular vote against just 9.8% to Murs. In the semi-finals Murs had to miss the wedding of his brother. The ceremony took place just 16 miles from the show's studio, but mentor Cowell was against letting him off for a few hours on the crucial semi-final day. He sang "Can You Feel It
Can You Feel It
"Can You Feel It" is a recording by funk and soul group The Jacksons, recorded in March 1980 and released on September 22, 1980 as the first track on their album Triumph....
" and "We Can Work It Out
We Can Work It Out
"We Can Work It Out" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It was released as a "double A-sided" single with "Day Tripper", the first time both sides of a single were so designated in an initial release...
" in the semi-final and ended up as one of the three finalists, breaking down in tears upon hearing the result.
In the final on 12 December, he repeated his audition song, "Supersition", following which Cowell said putting him in the final 12 was "the best risk I have ever taken in my life". Murs then sang with 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...
on a duet of "Angels", in which Williams fluffed his lines as he walked on stage to join Murs and came in at the wrong time, singing the second line of the song, but was helped by Murs to find the right spot. There was then a repeat performance of his week 2 song "Fool in Love". Murs qualified for the final two and first sang a repeat performance of "Twist and Shout
Twist and Shout
"Twist and Shout" is a song written by Phil Medley and Bert Russell. It was originally titled "Shake It Up, Baby" and recorded by the Top Notes and then covered by The Isley Brothers. It was covered by The Beatles with John Lennon on the lead vocals and originally released on their first album...
", following which Walsh commented, "You're a born, born showman and no matter what happens tonight you're going to have a great career in music." In his final performance on the show he performed the winner's song, "The Climb
The Climb (song)
"The Climb" is a song performed by American recording artist and actress Miley Cyrus, for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, and produced by John Shanks. It was released on March 5, 2009, as the lead single of the film's soundtrack by...
", finishing it in tears. He was told by Cole, "You absolutely tore it from your soul. I've never heard you sing like that. I thought it was a beautiful version of the song." He lost the final to Joe McElderry the next day and finished as the runner-up.
On 15 December, two days after the final, it was reported that Cowell was going to offer Murs a record deal in early 2010. Following his defeat, Murs was reportedly texted by duet partner Robbie Williams and invited to visit him in his Los Angeles mansion and participate in the upcoming Soccer Aid
Soccer Aid
-Event schedule:*22 May 2006 – Start of the television coverage, presented by Ant and Dec. Rest of the World defeats England in a penalty shoot-out*23 May 2006 – Practice match: England 1–0 England Legends...
, organised by Williams. Olly performed in the X Factor tour, alongside Joe McElderry
Joe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
, John & Edward
Jedward
John Paul Henry Daniel Richard Grimes and Edward Peter Anthony Kevin Patrick Grimes are an Irish hip pop duo. They are identical twins and perform under the name Jedward...
, Stacey Soloman Lucie Jones and several other finalists. It was later revealed on The Xtra Factor that Murs was predicted by all the judges and presenters (except Minogue who said Nicole Jackson and Cole who said Miss Frank as a second choice) as the favourite to win the series at the Boot Camp stage. As with all other finalists save the winner, Murs began gigging around the country following the end of the show. A fight broke out at one New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
gig in London prompted by enthusiastic fans. He was also booked to appear at the engagement party of model Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd
Danielle Lloyd is an English glamour model. The former Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006, she first rose to prominence when she was stripped of her Miss Great Britain 2006 title after posing for nude pictures featured in the December 2006 edition of Playboy magazine and her alleged...
. Footage of Murs appearing on Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (UK game show)
Deal or No Deal is the United Kingdom version of the Endemol game show format Deal or No Deal, hosted by Noel Edmonds. 1,758 shows have been aired...
was later featured in an edition of the BBC's Almost Famous on 2 January 2010.
2010–2011: Major label success and Olly Murs
Rumours began that Murs would record a debut album almost immediately after the final, where he finished in second place to Joe McElderryJoe McElderry
Joseph "Joe" McElderry is an English singer and model. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Charts. He was also crowned the winner of the second series of Popstar to Operastar, two...
. After the rumours broke out, Murs announced he signed a joint record deal between Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
and Syco Music in February 2010. It was announced that Murs began working with John Shanks
John Shanks
John Matthew Shanks is a modern rock writer and Grammy Award–winning producer.Born in New York City, Shanks moved to Los Angeles when he was 17....
and Eg White
Eg White
Francis Anthony "Eg" White is a British musician, songwriter and producer. White is primarily known for his work with successful commercial pop acts such as Adele, Duffy, Will Young and James Morrison...
. It was later confirmed that Roy Stride, Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
, Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector
Wayne Hector is an English songwriter.Wayne Hector has had over 30 number ones around the globe under his belt and numerous movie soundtrack credits, Wayne Hector is one of the UK’s most successful songwriters....
and Matty Benbrook would have involvement on the album which he collaborated with to make the "best possible songs". More writers and producers were confirmed to be working with Murs in the studio including; Phil Thornalley
Phil Thornalley
Phil Thornalley is a songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing the song "Torn" which Natalie Imbruglia later covered to great success for her 1997 debut album, Left of the Middle...
, Martin Brammer, Samuel Preston, Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor (record producer)
Mark Taylor is a Grammy Award winning British record producer and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records, he has produced and written for artists such as Cher, Enrique Iglesias, Britney Spears, Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and Lady Gaga...
. and Chris Difford
Chris Difford
Chris Difford is a singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer....
Professor Green
Professor Green
Professor Green , better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008...
was due to appear on the album, however, the duet fell through before recording was completed. "Heart on My Sleeve" is a cover of the song originally recorded by 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...
finalist Michael Johns
Michael Johns (singer)
Michael Johns is an Australian singer-songwriter who finished in eighth place on the seventh season of a United States television series, American Idol, in 2008.-Early life:...
.
Murs confirmed the first single from the album to be titled "Please Don't Let Me Go
Please Don't Let Me Go
"Please Don't Let Me Go" is a song by British singer Olly Murs. Written by Murs, Claude Kelly and Steve Robson, the song served as the lead single from the X Factor runner-up's eponymous debut album...
", which was released on 27 August 2010 following the circulation of the accompanying music video. The song was written by Murs himself and with other songwriters, Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly is an American singer-songwriter. He has a prolific discography, well known for writing for artists such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Sean, Adam Lambert, Jessie J and Charice.-Career:He began playing the piano...
and Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
; the single was also produced by Future Cut
Future Cut
Future Cut is the stage name of drum and bass producers Darren Lewis and Tunde Babalola. They share production duties.The duo first met whilst promoting rival Drum 'n' Bass nights in Manchester...
. The song is about a minor relationship Murs was in where he ended up feeling something for the other person. Murs commented: "Sadly she kept giving me the impression that she didn't like me as much, and ultimately it didn't work out, so that's where the idea of me singing 'Please Don't Let Me Go' came from." The song was described as "a lovely summery reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-tinged pop tune that bobs along in a thoroughly hummable and not un-Will Young
Will Young
William Robert "Will" Young is a British singer-songwriter and actor who came to prominenceafter winning the 2002 inaugural series of the British music contest Pop Idol, making him the first winner of the now-worldwide Idols-format franchise...
-like fashion" and said that the music video "is just as quintessentially pleasant". During the release, Murs was told not to get his hopes up for a number-one due to Katy Perry
Katy Perry
Katy Perry is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Born in Santa Barbara, California, and raised by Christian pastor parents, Perry grew up listening to only gospel music and sang in her local church as a child. After earning a GED during her first year of high school, she began to pursue a...
releasing "Teenage Dream
Teenage Dream (Katy Perry song)
"Teenage Dream" is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry. It was released as the second single from her third studio album of the same name on July 23, 2010 through digital distribution. Perry and Bonnie McKee wrote many songs with a youthful theme in mind, but they were rejected by...
" the same day. On 5 September 2010, the single entered the UK Singles Charts at number 1 beating Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream". The song was released with the B-side track, entitled "This One's for the Girls" also entered the UK Singles Charts, debuting at number 69, was written for all of his female fans.
His debut album was released in November 2010; which was a self-titled album, Olly Murs
Olly Murs (album)
-Charts:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Tour:On 21 November 2010 a UK tour was announced for 2011 to promote the album.-Release history:...
. The album's tracking list was revealed on 15 October 2010. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
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...
at number two, with the biggest week one album sales for a debut album in 2010, with over 108,000 albums sold. The album also charted 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 found itself peaking at number eleven. The second single will be "Thinking of Me", written by Murs, Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
and Hector, and co-produced by Future Cut and Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
. It is due to be released on 21 November 2010, prior to the album's release. It was reported that Professor Green
Professor Green
Professor Green , better known by his stage name Professor Green, is a British rapper. He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem, until 12 February 2008, as the label went under. He won the inaugural JumpOff MySpace £50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008...
would feature on the single, however, the duet fell through before it was completed. The single was added to BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's C Playlist on 3 November 2010. Murs performed the single for the first time on 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...
. Upon the release the single charted at number four on the UK Singles Charts and thirteen on the Irish Singles Charts. On 13 November Murs turned the Christmas lights on in the Scottish town Paisley
Paisley
Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland and serves as the administrative centre for the Renfrewshire council area...
and he also turned on the Christmas lights near his hometown in Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, Essex. Renfrew Council was criticised in the media for the £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
15,000 fee that Murs was paid to turn on the lights, after announcing that they were axing 500 jobs. Olly has now started his 2011 UK Tour starting in Rhyl, Wales on the 26th April.
2011–present: In Case You Didn't Know and Xtra Factor
It was rumoured that Murs had started working on his second studio album, which he confirmed. He said he would take the album from a different approach and said he would like to rap stating; "I'm secretly not a bad rapper, I really like to do a bit of beat boxing, EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
is always a favourite, or maybe Vanilla Ice
Vanilla Ice
Robert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
, "Ice Ice Baby
Ice Ice Baby
"Ice Ice Baby" is a hip hop song written by American rapper Vanilla Ice and DJ Earthquake. The song samples the bassline of "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie, who did not initially receive songwriting credit or royalties until after it had become a hit...
" is a classic." Murs also confirmed that he would like to record a duet with 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...
on the album, like he performed with him on The X Factor Live Final. Murs also revealed that he will build himself a more of a "soulful" sound. He said that the second album is really different to the first single of the album. He said the first single is a summer song, but the album's completely different. It has recently been revealed that the name of Olly's second album is "In Case You Didn't Know".
Murs confirmed that the first single from the album would be called "Heart Skips a Beat", the lead single from the album; which peaked at number one on the 28th August 2011, giving Murs his second number one single. The song was confirmed the feature rapping duo, Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks
Rizzle Kicks are a Brithop duo from Southend, Essex, consisting of Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens , and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule...
. The song premiered on The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
on July, 7 2011 and has been well received by fans. The video was released by Murs onto his official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. Murs said that the song is one of his favourite tracks of his new album; saying, "I'm loving the tune at the moment. It's going down really, really well." It was confirmed that Murs would return to 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...
to present the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor however, he would co-present alongside Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
.
On 19 September 2011, Olly announced through twitter that his second album would be Titled 'In Case You Didn't Know' with a song by the same name on the album. 'In Case You Didn't Know' will be released on the 28th November 2011.
On 29 September 2011, Olly won the award for "Best Male Artist" at the BT Digital Music Awards
On 9 October 2011, Olly Murs won the 'Best Album' award at the BBC Radio 1 Teen Awards, a series of awards that are nominated by teenagers. Olly Murs was the favourite for his album 'Olly Murs.'
On 14 October 2011, Murs released 'Dance With Me Tonight' on his YouTube Channel
On 28 October 2011, Olly was the first artist to be confirmed to play at Capital FM's Jinglebell Ball 2011.
On 10 November, Olly turned on the Christmas Lights in Bristol's mall. 7,000 fans attended and after Olly gave all his fans an exclusive live performance. One of the performances were an exclusive, which was his brand new single, Dance With Me Tonight. It was the first time Olly had performed this song live.
Other work
In February 2011, it was announced that Murs would take part in the BT Charity Trek along with other celebrities as part of the 2011 Comic ReliefComic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
Red Nose Day campaign. The celebrities spent five days in the Kaisut desert in north Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, covering 100 kilometre in temperatures up to 40°C. On 2 April 2011, Murs appeared in a celebrity version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and won £10,000 for charity. On 4 April 2011 for one week, Murs stood in for Comedy Dave Vitty on The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show
The Chris Moyles Show is the current BBC Radio 1 breakfast show in the UK, and has been since Chris Moyles became the station's breakfast show presenter on 5 January 2004. From 2004 to 2007, the show was broadcast 6:55–10:00 am each weekday, but since 15 October 2007 it has started from...
on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
while Vitty was rehearsing for Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
. In 2011, Murs appeared on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
's children's hidden camera show Remote Control Star. At the end of May 2011, Murs presented a Celebrity Club Classics show on Heart FM. On 31 May 2011 it was confirmed Olly would be co presenting the eighth series of The Xtra Factor alongside Caroline Flack
Caroline Flack
Caroline Louise Flack is a British television presenter. She is known for presenting I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! NOW! from 2008 to 2010....
.
Discography
- Olly MursOlly Murs (album)-Charts:-End of year charts:-Certifications:-Tour:On 21 November 2010 a UK tour was announced for 2011 to promote the album.-Release history:...
(2010) - In Case You Didn't KnowIn Case You Didn't Know-Release history:...
(2011)