Biography James Blunt, No Bravery, South by Southwest

Strict upbringing
James Blunt was born into a traditional army family, and grew up in a house in which discipline and order were king. He spent his early years in Tidiworth, Wiltshire, and even though his dad thought music was 'unnecessary noise', James' mum did appreciate music. At the age of 7, James learned the violin, then the piano, and at 14 he turned towards a rockier sound. This was when he developed a real passion for music, but from being quite small James knew from an early age that he wanted to be a singer, and started writing songs at an early age.

A soldier's life
But in the Blunt household, where sons have followed their fathers into the army for generations, even the rebellious, long-haired James, who preferred guitars to guns, was to follow the family tradition. After obtaining a degree in Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering and Sociology from Bristol University, he joined the army. James was dispatched to Kosovo to take part in a UN peacekeeping mission in the former Yugoslavia, and this was where he wrote No Bravery about his experiences on the battlefield. After 4 years' loyal service, he left the army for good in 2002 and devoted himself entirely to his first passion, music.

Early beginnings
James Blunt made his debut at the Water Rats in London, but it wasn't until 2003 that his star status started to grow when he took part in the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, got spotted and headed off for the bright lights of LA. It was there he met Linda Perry, former member of 4 Non Blondes, who was blown away by his talent and introduced him to Tom Rothrock, Beck's producer. Together they produced 2005's Back to Bedlam. The album was a global success and James even got to No.1 in the US, a feat which hadn't been achieved since Elton John's Candle In The Wind nine years earlier.

International stardom
Debut single You're Beautiful has sold over 1.5 million copies to date. James' heartfelt songwriting and distinctive vocals caused fans to go bananas, and James found himself followed everywhere he went. Musical recognition followed (he won an MTV Europe Music Award and a Q Award in 2005, an NRJ Music Award for International Newcomer in 2006, a Brit Award, two Grammys and many more in 2007). James embarked upon a world tour in early 2006, supporting Jason Mraz in the US.

Heartbreaker
After breaking up with long-term love Camilla Bowler, James got together with stunning Czech model Petra Nemcova. The pair were engaged, but split in February 2006. Since his split from Petra, James has flitted somewhat, freely admitting he loves the fact that fame makes him attractive to beautiful women! He's admitted to being smitten with Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen, but his charms failed to work on the stunning supermodel (maybe Leo DiCaprio got there first). He's also rumoured to have had a fling with socialite Paris Hilton and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger, and more recently he's been linked to psychotherapist Mika Simmons. Life can't be all that bad...