Joe McElderry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe McElderry
McElderry at The Sage Gateshead in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Joseph McElderry
Born	(1991-06-16) 16 June 1991 (age 34) South Shields, Tyne and Wear, England
Genres	Pop operatic pop country pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, model
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2007–present
Labels	Syco Music (2009–2011) Decca (2011–present)

Joseph McElderry (born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He became famous after winning the sixth series of The X Factor in 2009. His first song, "The Climb", quickly became number one in the UK and Ireland.

Joe also won other TV shows, like Popstar to Operastar in 2011 and The Jump in 2014. In 2015, he played the main character, Joseph, in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. He has released five albums that made it into the top 20 charts in the UK. By 2014, Joe McElderry had sold over two million records around the world.

Early Life and Education

Joseph McElderry was born on 16 June 1991 in South Shields, England. He is the only child of Jim and Eileen McElderry. Joe grew up in South Shields.

He went to Harton Technology College and later studied performing arts at Newcastle College. In 2008, he was named the Young Performer of the Year in South Tyneside. Before his big break, Joe played the role of Danny Zuko in a school play of Grease in 2009.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with The X Factor

Joe McElderry first tried out for The X Factor in 2007. He made it to the bootcamp stage but decided he was too young at the time. He tried again in 2009, singing "Dance with My Father" by Luther Vandross.

With Cheryl Cole as his mentor, Joe reached the live finals. On 13 December 2009, he won the show, beating Olly Murs. His winning song was his version of "The Climb". As the winner, Joe received a recording contract with Simon Cowell's Syco record label.

McElderry performing live at The O₂ Arena as part of The X Factor tour.

The finalists of The X Factor also recorded a charity song, "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson. This song helped raise money for London's Great Ormond Street Hospital. It quickly became number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Here are some of the songs Joe performed on The X Factor in 2009:

After The X Factor Success

Joe's first single, "The Climb", was released soon after he won. It became number one in Ireland very quickly. In the UK, it was a strong contender for the Christmas number one song in 2009. However, it lost to "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine after a social media campaign. This was the first time since 2004 that an X Factor winner's song didn't get the Christmas number one spot.

Despite this, "The Climb" still reached number one in the UK on 27 December. It was one of the best-selling singles in the UK and the top-selling single in Ireland for 2009.

In January 2010, Joe helped record the charity single "Everybody Hurts" for Helping Haiti. This song raised money for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

First Album and New Beginnings

In 2010, Joe released his first album, Wide Awake. The first song from the album was "Ambitions". The album reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.

Joe also recorded a special song called "There's A Place For Us" for the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. This song was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2011.

In February 2011, Joe decided to leave his record label, Syco. He said it was a friendly split and he was "forever thankful" for the chance they gave him.

Winning Popstar to Operastar

In 2011, Joe joined the TV show Popstar to Operastar, where pop singers learn to sing opera. He won the show on 10 July 2011. He was very popular, getting more votes than all other contestants combined in every episode he competed in.

After winning, Joe signed with a new record label, Decca Records. His second album, Classic, was released in August 2011 and reached number 2 on the UK charts. He also released a Christmas album, Classic Christmas, in November 2011.

More Albums and Musicals

McElderry at the Paralympic Flame Festival, Edinburgh, on 26 August 2012

Joe's fourth album, Here's What I Believe, came out in September 2012 and reached number 8 in the charts. This made it his third album to be in the top 10.

He also started taking on roles in musicals. In 2012, he had a small part in a musical version of Dirty Dancing. He also performed in The Who's Tommy.

The Jump and Touring

In January 2014, Joe joined the TV show The Jump, where celebrities compete in winter sports. He won the show after a ski jump of 17.5 metres.

In 2014, Joe went on a big tour across the UK called the Set Your Soul Alive tour. He also worked on new music for his fifth album during this time.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

In 2015, Joe McElderry got the main role of Joseph in the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. The tour ran from January to July 2016.

Critics praised his performance as Joseph. Many said his singing was amazing, especially on the song "Close Every Door". One critic called him "a shining star" and said he might be "the best sung Joseph there's ever been."

Joe's fifth album, Saturday Night at the Movies, was released in July 2017. It features songs from films and musicals. He promoted the album with a national tour. In 2023 and 2024, Joe played Jiminy Cricket in a pantomime version of Pinocchio at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Helping Others: Philanthropy

Joe McElderry has supported many charities. In 2010, he ran the Great North Run half marathon to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. He is also an ambassador for this charity.

He has performed at several charity concerts, including for the Ray of Sunshine charity and Josie's Dragonfly trust. In 2013, he recorded a charity song called "Abide with Me" with The Royal Mail Choir to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK. He also released "One World, One Song" with Dionne Warwick to support The Hunger Project.

Awards and Recognition

Joe McElderry has received awards for his work.

Albums by Joe McElderry

• Wide Awake (2010)
• Classic (2011)
• Classic Christmas (2011)
• Here's What I Believe (2012)
• Saturday Night at the Movies (2017)

Tours by Joe McElderry

• The X Factor Tour 2010 (February – April 2010)
• Classic Tour (November 2011)
• 2013 summer tour
• Set Your Soul Alive Tour (March – June 2014)
• The Evolution Tour (February – November 2015)
• The Northern Light Tour (October – November 2016)
• Saturday Night at the Movies (July – August 2017)
• Freedom Tour (September - October 2022)
• The Classic Collection (August - November 2024)

Images for kids

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  McElderry at The Sage Gateshead in 2012

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  McElderry performing live at The O₂ Arena as part of The X Factor tour.

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  McElderry at the Paralympic Flame Festival, Edinburgh, on 26 August 2012