Birth Name: Joseph McElderry
Born: 16 June 1991 (1991-06-16) (age 18)
South Shields,Tyne and Wear,England
Genres: Pop
Occupations: Singer
Instruments: Vocals
Years active: 2009–present
Labels: Sony Music, Syco Music (2009–present)
Associated acts:The X Factor 2009 Winner


Joseph McElderry (born 16 June 1991 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England) is an English singer. He won the sixth series of the ITV show The X Factor in 2009. His first single "The Climb" reached #1 on the UK and Irish Singles Charts.

Early life:

Born in South Shields, England, Joe is the only child of Jim McElderry and Eileen Joyce.The couple separated when McElderry was a child, but have said they have a great relationship. McElderry was raised with help from his grandmother Hilda Joyce and his aunts. Hilda used to sing in a band called The Dolly Mixtures, who performed in the pubs and clubs of the North-East of England.

McElderry attended Harton Technology College in Lisle Road, South Shields, before joining South Tyneside College to study AS level school qualifications, and Newcastle College to study performing arts.

Singing career:

He was the Pride of South Tyneside's Young Performer of the Year in 2008.. McElderry studies for BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts at Newcastle College Performance Academy. He was backed by the college to win The X Factor. He took the role of Danny Zuko in Grease performed at Harton Technology College. McElderry had previously auditioned for The X Factor in 2007, but felt too young compared to the other contestants and opted to walk away.

2009: The X Factor:

McElderry auditioned in Manchester and sang Luther Vandross' "Dance with My Father". The audition was televised on 22 August 2009. After this performance, he got full support from the judges. He travelled to Marrakesh in Morocco with mentor, Cheryl Cole, and guest judge Will Young, and was picked as one of her final three contestants in the boys’ category to progress to the live shows.

Final:

McElderry's first song in the final was Luther Vandross' "Dance With My Father", the song he sang at his audition. His second song was a duet with George Michael, sining "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me". His third song was "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word", which he sang on the eighth live show. McElderry secured his place in the final two after winning the public vote alongside Olly Murs. Stacey Solomon missed out on a place, despite giving a confident performance. They both performed the winner's song "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus in Sunday night's final. McElderry won the series, and went on to release his first single, "The Climb". McElderry told the Sunday Mirror that he wanted to win the title for his grandmother, Hilda

Performances:

McElderry performed the following songs during the contest:

Auditions: "Dance with My Father"
Bootcamp: "Praying for Time"
Judges' House: "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
Week 1: "No Regrets"
Week 2: "Where Do Broken Hearts Go"
Week 3: "Sway"
Week 4: "Don't Stop Believin'"
Week 5: "Circle of Life"
Week 6: "Somebody to Love"
Week 7: "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
Week 8(Quarter Final): "Could It Be Magic" and "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word"
Week 9(Semi-final):"She's Out of My Life" and "Open Arms"
Week 10(Final): "Dance with My Father","Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (Performed with George Michael),"Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word","Don't Stop Believin'" and "The Climb" Winner's song

The Climb:

McElderry's debut single is "The Climb", originally recorded by Miley Cyrus for the 2009 film Hannah Montana: The Movie. The song was written by Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe, who were inspired by their experiences in the music industry. It was available to download at 00:00 on 14 December 2009 and was released physically on 16 December 2009.
According to industry sources, approximately 100,000 copies of the single were sold on the day of its release. The song was a contender for 2009's British Christmas Number One, competing against, and losing to Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name". Following this, the song moved up to the top spot in the UK singles chart on 27th December. It conceded the top position to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance after staying one week at the top of the British charts.