Jamie Johnson

Following in the footsteps of the likes of <I>X Factor finalist Olly Murs and original <I>Pop Idol winner Will Young, Jamie Johnson wowed audiences with his vocal performances on <I>The Voice UK, where he was knocked out in the final stage by eventual winner Jermain Jackman. Hailing from the South Eastern coastal town of Gillingham, the singer started out at age 15, joining the efforts of a local charity, Youth Can Shine, that used music to raise awareness of knife and gun crime. This experience gave Johnson the confidence to join forces with friend Alby Wallbank, and together they wrote a collection of original acoustic songs. Soon, after receiving the encouragement of local venues, Johnson sought to assemble a full backing band to accompany his impressive vocals, and subsequently landed shows at Rochester Castle, O2 Islington Academy, and the Camden Roundhouse. It wasn't until 2013 that Johnson decided to apply for the third season of <I>The Voice, after seeing friends Joseph Apostol and Moni Tivony advance to the latter stages of series two. In his live audition, Johnson impressed the judges with his rendition of Ne-Yo's "So Sick," eventually choosing the tutorship of pop megastar Kylie Minogue. His emotional cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" in the semifinal of the competition entered the U.K. Top 40 Singles chart, before he was knocked out of the competition at the final hurdle. ~ Scott Kerr, Rovi