Gareth Gates
| Gareth Gates | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gareth Paul Gates |
| Born | 12 July 1984 |
| Origin | Bradford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels |
RCA / BMG (S Records) / 19 Recordings (2002–2006) UMTV /19 Recordings (2006–2007) RCA Records (2009–present) |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | garethgates |
Gareth Paul Gates (born 12 July 1984) is an English singer-songwriter. He was the runner-up in the first series of the ITV talent show Pop Idol. Gates has sold over 3.5 million records in the UK. He is also known for having a stutter, and has talked about his speech impediment publicly. Gates used the McGuire Programme to manage the problem and is now a speech coach with the programme.
In 2009, Gates moved into musical theatre, playing the title role in the West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Adelphi Theatre. In 2009–2011, Gates completed an eighteen-month stint as Marius, initially in the touring production and then in the West End production of Les Misérables. He also took the roles of Eddie in the musical Loserville, Warner in Legally Blonde in 2012 and Dean in Boogie Nights the Musical in Concert in 2013. He is now part of the pop group 5th Story, set up for The Big Reunion.
Gates was born in West Bowling, Bradford, to Paul and Wendy (née Farry) Broadbent. He has three sisters, Nicola (born 1985), Charlotte (born 1991), and Jessica (born 1993) and grew up with his cousin James (born 1986) who was fostered by the family. His parents regularly foster other children. Gates and his sisters attended Dixons City Technology College in West Bowling, Bradford where Gates studied art and music at GCSE level.
He joined Bradford Cathedral choir at age nine. He was head chorister by the age of eleven, singing solo for the Queen when she visited in 1997. Gates achieved Grade 8 in piano, classical guitar and singing. He became a Christian through Bradford's Abundant Life church, where he played his guitar. He gained a reserve place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester before the finals of Pop Idol.
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