Jamie Cullum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jamie Cullum
Cullum performing at The Queen's Birthday Party in 2018
Background information
Birth name	Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum
Born	(1979-08-20) 20 August 1979 (age 45) Rochford, Essex, England
Genres	Vocal jazz jazz-pop swing
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter radio presenter
Instruments	Vocals piano guitar drums
Years active	1999–present
Labels	Lioness UCJ Candid Decca Verve Forecast Deckdisc

Jamie Paul Joseph Cullum (born 20 August 1979) is an English jazz-pop singer, pianist, songwriter, and radio presenter. He is known for his unique blend of jazz with pop, rock, and other music styles. Jamie plays several instruments, including piano, guitar, and drums. He has released many albums and singles. Since 2010, he has hosted a weekly jazz show on BBC Radio 2.

Early Life and Education

Jamie Cullum was born in Rochford, Essex, England. He grew up in Hullavington, Wiltshire. His father's mother had to leave Nazi Germany. His mother was born in Burma. When the Japanese invaded, her family moved to Wales.

Jamie went to Grittleton House School and then Sheldon School. He later studied English Literature and Film Studies at the University of Reading. He graduated with top honors.

Music Career Highlights

Jamie Cullum started his music career by making his first album, Heard It All Before, for only £480. He released 500 copies in 1999. This album's success led him to appear on another artist's album.

After university, Jamie released Pointless Nostalgic in 2002. This album caught the attention of famous broadcasters.

In 2003, Jamie signed a big contract with Universal Music Group. His third album, Twentysomething, became very popular. It was the best-selling jazz album by an artist in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2003, Jamie Cullum was the UK's top-selling jazz artist ever.

Musical Style and Instruments

Jamie Cullum is mostly a jazz musician. However, he mixes many styles, making him a "crossover" artist. He gets ideas from many musicians, including Miles Davis.

Jamie often uses a special wooden box called a stomp box during his concerts. He found it in Australia. It helps make his tapping foot louder, especially for fast songs. He uses it for songs like "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes.

He also uses a looping machine. This machine records and plays back sounds instantly. It's a big part of his versions of "Seven Nation Army" and "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. Jamie also often does beatboxing in his shows.

Jamie has performed songs by many artists. These include Kanye West, Massive Attack, Rihanna, and Radiohead. He has also performed with famous musicians like Kylie Minogue and will.i.am.

In 2012, Jamie helped write "Standing Still". This song was Germany's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. In 2016, he played at The White House in Washington, D.C., for International Jazz Day.

Albums and Recordings

Pointless Nostalgic

On this album, Jamie Cullum covered old jazz songs. He gave them new arrangements. These included "Devil May Care" and "Well You Needn't". He also covered "It Ain't Necessarily So" by George Gershwin. Jamie's version of "It Ain't Necessarily So" was used in the film The Anatomy of Hate; A Dialogue to Hope.

Twentysomething

This album was recorded in London and released in 2003. Twentysomething has a mix of jazz songs, modern covers, and ballads. The music was recorded using old-fashioned analogue tape.

The album includes jazz songs like "What a Diff'rence a Day Made" and "Singin' in the Rain". It also has modern versions of "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady. Jamie also covered "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" by Jeff Buckley and "The Wind Cries Mary" by Jimi Hendrix. The album also features new songs written by Jamie and his brother Ben.

Catching Tales

Catching Tales was released on double vinyl. The first single, "Get Your Way", also had a limited edition on red vinyl. Jamie toured to support Catching Tales from late 2005 to late 2006.

Cullum performing at Colours of Ostrava, July 2009

The Pursuit

In 2009, Jamie announced his fourth album, The Pursuit. It was released in November 2009. The first single was "I'm All Over It".

The Pursuit was recorded in different places. These included Jamie's kitchen, a studio in L.A., and his own studio in London. The song "Gran Torino", which Jamie wrote with Clint Eastwood, was used as the title track for Eastwood's 2008 movie. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Momentum

Jamie Cullum's album Momentum came out in May 2013. To celebrate, he played six small concerts across Europe. Jamie said Momentum is about growing up. It's about balancing childhood dreams with adult responsibilities.

Interlude

Interlude is an album of jazz covers. It was released in October 2014. Jamie recorded it in one take. The album was inspired by his BBC Radio 2 jazz show. It features duets with Laura Mvula and Gregory Porter.

A special version of the album included a DVD of Jamie's concert at Jazz à Vienne. To launch his first pure jazz album, Jamie played at famous jazz clubs. These included Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and Ronnie Scott's in London.

God Only Knows

Cullum performing at the 2017 Akershus Festning, Oslo

In 2014, Jamie was part of the BBC charity song "God Only Knows". This song was for Children in Need. He appeared in the song's video in a hot air balloon.

Taller

In February 2017, Jamie shared that he was working on his next album, Taller. The first song from it, "Work of Art", was released in February.

Recent Work

In July 2020, Jamie Cullum released the song "Don't Give Up on Me". In 2021, he re-recorded the classic Fleetwood Mac song "Don't Stop". This was for the UK's National Thank You Day to celebrate the National Health Service. In 2022, Jamie performed at a concert celebrating 60 years of James Bond films music.

Awards and Recognition

Jamie Cullum has won many awards for his music. In 2003, he won the "Rising Star" award at the British Jazz Awards.

At the 2004 BRIT Awards, he was nominated for British Breakthrough Act. He performed live with Katie Melua. In 2005, he was nominated for two more BRIT Awards. He was also nominated for a Grammy. BBC Radio 2 listeners voted him Artist of the Year at the BBC Jazz Awards.

In 2007, Jamie won the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Award for Best British Male. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for "Gran Torino". In 2013, he was nominated for UK Jazz Artist of the Year at the Jazz FM awards.

Personal Life

Jamie Cullum is married to English author and former model Sophie Dahl. They got married in 2010. They have two daughters, born in 2011 and 2013.

In 2011, a painting of Jamie Cullum by artist Joe Simpson was shown in art exhibitions around the UK.

Jamie was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2012. He made history on the show by performing three of his chosen songs live in the studio.

Jamie is a fan of Swindon Town Football Club.

Discography

• Heard It All Before (1999)
• Pointless Nostalgic (2002)
• Twentysomething (2003)
• Catching Tales (2005)
• The Pursuit (2009)
• Momentum (2013)
• Interlude (2014)
• Taller (2019)
• The Pianoman at Christmas (2020)

See also

In Spanish: Jamie Cullum para niños