Ben Mills
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Collett Mills (born 1 March 1980 in Chatham, Kent
, England
) is a British
singer who finished in third place in the third UK series of TV talent show The X Factor
in 2006. He signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG. His album, Picture of You
, was released on 12 March 2007, the same date as the debut album from The X Factor runner-up Raymond Quinn. His debut single was advertised as "Beside You" and set to be released on 5 March 2007. However, the single was pulled by the record company at the last minute. The reason given was to concentrate on album sales.
Mills made an appearance on 30 November 2008 in Margate
, Kent
together with Bob Geldof
to switch on the Christmas lights. He also sang a rendition of Rod Stewart
's "Maggie May
" to around 2000 people.
Mills was a co-director of a marquee hire company in his home town of Whitstable
before appearing on The X Factor.
He gained a diploma in music from the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford
, Surrey
and has been singing since he was a child. He also plays piano and guitar. He was also a keyboard player in the tribute band to The Doors
called The L.A. Doors and toured the pub and club circuit with his own band called Benzego.
Mills' audition song for The X Factor was "Bring It On Home To Me
" by Sam Cooke
, which impressed the panel of judges; Simon Cowell
thought he sounded like a young Joe Cocker
, whom, incidentally, Ben names as one of his musical influences along with Tom Waits
, Rod Stewart
and David Bowie
. During his time on The X Factor he was mentored by Sharon Osbourne
.
He performed at Pontins Holiday Camp in Prestatyn, Wales in May 2009.
His second album is called Freedom and it was released on 8 March 2010 and launched on 13 March 2010 at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury
.
broadcast on channel Five, in which he talked about his personal life and former drug-related problems with the presenter and general practitioner
, Mark Porter
. On live television Mills explained that he first took cocaine
when he went on tour with a band, and from that moment he wanted to take more. He reported that the tour lasted for four years, that he became a heavy cocaine user, his social network
became drug-orientated and he reached a nadir; he was having to borrow money, his girlfriend left him, he was not turning up for gigs, and he had lost his confidence. He said that he realised he had to change his life after spending three or four days on a beach
in December, so he telephoned a counsellor who helped him to rehabilitate
. After his recovery he successfully took part in The X Factor.
Mills announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Melissa, in April 2009. They were married at Blean Church in July 2009.
In June 2011, Ben performed at the Music On The Hill festival at West Malling in Kent, on behalf of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, together with Katherine Jenkins, McFly, ABC, and Bjorn Again.
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
singer who finished in third place in the third UK series of TV talent show The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
in 2006. He signed a five-album record deal with Sony BMG. His album, Picture of You
Picture of You
Picture of You is the debut album from The X Factor series 3 contestant Ben Mills, released on 12 March 2007. It entered the UK Album Chart at number three with first week sales of 63,500; the album dropped to number 14 the following week....
, was released on 12 March 2007, the same date as the debut album from The X Factor runner-up Raymond Quinn. His debut single was advertised as "Beside You" and set to be released on 5 March 2007. However, the single was pulled by the record company at the last minute. The reason given was to concentrate on album sales.
Mills made an appearance on 30 November 2008 in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
together with Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
to switch on the Christmas lights. He also sang a rendition of Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's "Maggie May
Maggie May
"Maggie May" is a song written by singer Rod Stewart and Martin Quittenton and recorded by Stewart in 1971 for his album Every Picture Tells a Story....
" to around 2000 people.
Mills was a co-director of a marquee hire company in his home town of Whitstable
Whitstable
Whitstable is a seaside town in Northeast Kent, Southeast England. It is approximately north of the city of Canterbury and approximately west of the seaside town of Herne Bay. It is part of the City of Canterbury district and has a population of about 30,000.Whitstable is famous for its oysters,...
before appearing on The X Factor.
He gained a diploma in music from the Academy Of Contemporary Music in Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and has been singing since he was a child. He also plays piano and guitar. He was also a keyboard player in the tribute band to The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
called The L.A. Doors and toured the pub and club circuit with his own band called Benzego.
Mills' audition song for The X Factor was "Bring It On Home To Me
Bring It On Home to Me
"Bring It On Home to Me" is a 1962 soul song written and recorded by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. The song, about infidelity, was a hit for Cooke and has become a pop standard covered by numerous artists of different genres. It is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped...
" by Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
, which impressed the panel of judges; Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
thought he sounded like a young Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
, whom, incidentally, Ben names as one of his musical influences along with Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
and David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. During his time on The X Factor he was mentored by Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
.
He performed at Pontins Holiday Camp in Prestatyn, Wales in May 2009.
His second album is called Freedom and it was released on 8 March 2010 and launched on 13 March 2010 at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
.
Personal life
On 24 August 2007, Mills was a celebrity guest in an episode of the live television programme Doctor, DoctorDoctor, Doctor (Five TV)
Doctor, Doctor is a live talk show broadcast on British television on Five hosted by the presenters Mark Porter and Raj Persaud...
broadcast on channel Five, in which he talked about his personal life and former drug-related problems with the presenter and general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
, Mark Porter
Mark Porter (doctor)
Mark Porter, MBE is a GP and medical correspondent for The Times. He also has a weekly programme on Radio 4 called Case Notes and joined The One Show on BBC One in 2011....
. On live television Mills explained that he first took cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
when he went on tour with a band, and from that moment he wanted to take more. He reported that the tour lasted for four years, that he became a heavy cocaine user, his social network
Social network
A social network is a social structure made up of individuals called "nodes", which are tied by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.Social...
became drug-orientated and he reached a nadir; he was having to borrow money, his girlfriend left him, he was not turning up for gigs, and he had lost his confidence. He said that he realised he had to change his life after spending three or four days on a beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
in December, so he telephoned a counsellor who helped him to rehabilitate
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
. After his recovery he successfully took part in The X Factor.
Mills announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Melissa, in April 2009. They were married at Blean Church in July 2009.
In June 2011, Ben performed at the Music On The Hill festival at West Malling in Kent, on behalf of Demelza Hospice Care for Children, together with Katherine Jenkins, McFly, ABC, and Bjorn Again.
Discography
| Year | Album details | Chart peak positions | Certifications | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
||||
| 2007 | Picture of You Picture of You Picture of You is the debut album from The X Factor series 3 contestant Ben Mills, released on 12 March 2007. It entered the UK Album Chart at number three with first week sales of 63,500; the album dropped to number 14 the following week....
|
3 | 15 |
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... : Gold |
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... : 133,000 |
| 2010 | Freedom
Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... , digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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