Aled Jones (Великобритания)

Aled Jones (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer best known for his television work with BBC and ITV.

Jones was born in St. David's Hospital in Bangor, Wales, the only child of Nest Rowlands, a teacher, and Derek John Jones, a draughtsman for a shipbuilder. He was raised in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan, in Anglesey and attended Ysgol David Hughes. Jones joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral at age nine and was lead soloist within two years, although he never made Head Chorister. The remarkable quality of his treble voice was appreciated by a member of the congregation, Hefina Orwig Evans, who wrote a letter to local record company Sain, and he was duly signed. In 1982 he won the Cerdd Dant solo competitions for competitors under 12 at the Urdd Eisteddfod.

Aled Jones became famous for the cover version of "Walking in the Air", the song from Channel 4's 1982 animated film The Snowman, based on the book by Raymond Briggs. The record reached No. 5 in the UK charts in 1985. (However, the version used in the film was not performed by Jones, but by Peter Auty, a St. Paul's Cathedral choirboy.)

In June 1985, Jones was the subject of the Emmy award winning BBC Omnibus documentary The Treble. Jones also, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, was behind the Santa Claus The Movie, original motion picture soundtrack, Every Christmas Eve of 1985. Always in 1985, Jones was called by Mike Oldfield to sing in Oldfield's single Pictures in the Dark, a three-voice song along with Anita Hegerland and Barry Palmer, and which became quite popular.

His recording career was temporarily halted when his voice broke at 16. By this time he had recorded 16 albums, sold more than six million albums, and sung for Pope John Paul II, the Queen, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in a private recital, as well as presenting numerous children's television programmes. He sang at the wedding of celebrities Bob Geldof and Paula Yates in 1986. He also had the distinction of being the first artist to have two classical albums listed simultaneously in the popular music charts. He also worked with Leonard Bernstein (Chichester Psalms). In 1986 he sang the oratorio Athalia with Emma Kirkby. His first biography, "Walking on Air", was published in 1986.

(from Wikipedia)