X Factor - Introducing JLS

Monday, 6 October 2008

JLS are a four-strong London-based vocal harmony group, who were given their ticket to the live finals after impressing in all auditions.

But they only just scraped through in Louis Walsh's house after a bit of an off day.

Before they heard the good news, Marvin from JLS mused: "We want to do well so badly. We want to progress in this competition.

"If it's a no the walls are going to come crashing down."

But when Louis gave them the nod, saying: "You're going through", they nearly fell over each other hugging!

Let's meet the fab foursome...

Marvin Humes

23 year-old Marvin was born in South-East London and started singing at the age of five before attending a professional performance school 3 times a week alongside his regular studies.

Performance training gave him the platform from which to develop his vocal talents after school and a chance meeting with Simon Webbe gave Marvin the opportunity to hand over one of his demo tapes.

Weeks later Marvin auditioned for Simon and was asked if he wanted to join a new group that he was managing, called VS.

VS were signed to Innocent Records and went on to support Blue on two national tours but they never really had chart success and lost their recording deal.

Marvin contemplated leaving the music industry and started selling property and land abroad until he got a call from bandmate Ortise who asked him to join JLS. And he never looked back.

Jonathan Gill (JB)

21 year-old JB grew up in Croydon and was instantly a music fan, playing the recorder, piano, flute and guitar from a young age before joining his school choir and performing at church.

He later began studying at The Centre for Young Musicians (CYM) and got involved with the school music scene.

And although JB had a promising rugby career ahead of him, he decided at the age of 17 that he wanted to sing more and took up vocal coaching during a year out before attending university.

But during this year out, fellow JLS-er Ortise gave him a call and recruited him to the band.

We bet he's glad he took that year out!

Ortise Williams

21 year-old Oritse has been singing since he was at school and whilst studying for his A’ Levels in Nigeria with his father he would also spend time teaching the children in the villages to sing.

It was in Nigeria that Oritse first sang in a recording studio but due to competition from another male solo artist, Oritse’s track was pulled from the station's playlist and his dream came to a standstill.

After two years he moved back to the UK to live back with his mother in London and was introduced to a variety of different mentors when he joined a vocal academy at university.

Malcolm Connell trained him vocally and was the person who encouraged him to form JLS.

Ortise then recruited Marvin, Jonathan and Aston to JLS and the rest is history.

Aston Merrygold

Aston dreamed of being a footballer when he was growing up in Peterborough and at secondary school he represented England for the European Youth Games.

But a nerve disorder in his left foot meant Ortise had to give up sport, and when he was 14 his mother applied for him enter Kids Stars in their Eyes where he appeared as Michael Jackson.

Aston also performed in all of his school productions and after finishing school in 2004, he was cast in a new TV show called Fun Song Factory.

Aston met Marvin whilst auditioning for a TV advert and he was invited to come along and try out for JLS.

Since joining the band, Aston moved to London to be closer to the other members of JLS.

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