Jon Lee (singer)

"Jon Lee (entertainer)" redirects here. For the member of the band Feeder, see Jon Lee (drummer).
Jon Lee
Born Jonathan Lee
(1982-04-26) 26 April 1982
Ipplepen, Devon, England
Other names Jonny Boy
Occupation Actor, Singer
Years active 1994–present

Jonathan "Jon" Lee (born 26 April 1982 in Devon, England) is an English actor and singer. Lee is best known as a member of pop group S Club 7 (later S Club) which disbanded in April 2003. He was the youngest member. The group also starred in a number of their own TV sitcoms, playing themselves. Since the band split, Lee has carved a successful career in musical theatre, taking on lead roles in a number of productions including the West End shows Les Misérables and Jersey Boys.

Early life

At the age of 13, Lee played the leading role in the West End production of Oliver! At the London Palladium Theatre alongside Jonathan Pryce's and George Layton's Fagin.

Career

1993–03: EastEnders and career with S Club

The group rose to fame by starring in their own BBC television series, Miami 7, in 1999 and have been widely referred to as inspiring a new generation of teenage TV musicals including High School Musical and Glee. Over the five years they were together, S Club 7 had four UK No.1 singles, one UK No.1 album, and a string of hits throughout Europe, including a top-ten single in the United States, Asia, Latin America and Africa. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over fourteen million albums worldwide.[1] Their first album, S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of the time. Through the course of their career, however, their musical approach changed to a more dance and R&B sound which is heard most notably in their final album, Seeing Double. S Club 7 won two Brit Awards — in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002 for best British single. In 2001 the group earned the Record of the Year award. Group member Paul Cattermole departed the group in 2002, and the group changed its name from S Club 7 to simply S Club. On 21 April 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.[2]

2004–12: Stage

In 2004 Lee played the role of Marius in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre in London, and continued the role following the show's move to the smaller Queen's Theatre. In 2005 Lee toured the UK with the new musical, Love Shack, featuring disco classics and hit dance songs from the charts, starring alongside Steps' Faye Tozer and Hear'Say's Noel Sullivan. In August 2006 Lee starred in The Heather Brothers' production of Teen Scream at the Assembly Rooms at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He returned to the London stage in 2010 in the musical Tomorrow Morning. Lee worked on a number of other musical projects before returning to the stage, and also starred in BBC's "The Sound of Musicals". In 2008 he recorded a song for the CD Act One – Songs From The Musicals Of Alexander S. Bermange, an album of 20 new recordings by 26 West End stars. It was released in November 2008 on Dress Circle Records.

In 2008 Lee voiced the part of good-looking, bike-riding Max, in the British Disney Channel cartoon series Famous 5: On the Case.[3] Over Christmas and New Year's 2008–09 he appeared at The White Rock Theatre, Hastings, performing the leading role in the pantomime Peter Pan.[4] Both Lee and the show were well received.[5] Later in 2009 Lee appeared as Billy Fury in Nick Moran’s new film Telstar. On 22 May 2010 he appeared in BBC One's Casualty as Craig, who is unexpectedly diagnosed with motor neurone disease.[6] He played John in the internationally acclaimed musical Tomorrow Morning by Laurence Mark Wythe at the Landor Theatre in London. Over the following Christmas and New Year's, Lee appeared at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking as Prince Charming in Cinderella.[7]

2012–present: Fallen Angel and focus on stage

In October 2012 Lee announced via Twitter that he had recorded his debut solo album, Fallen Angel. The first track on the album, "My Father's Son", was premiered on 4 November by BBC Radio 2's Paul O'Grady. The album was released on 4 March 2013. Lee took on the part of Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre, London, from 15 March 2011 until 7 March 7, 2014. At the end of 2012, whilst maintaining his Jersey Boys commitments, Lee took the lead role in Aladdin at The O2 in London and acted alongside Paul O'Grady, who revived his alter-ego Lily Savage.[8][9]

Personal life

In August 2010 Lee revealed, in an interview with Gay Times magazine, that he was gay. He added that he had come out to family and friends at a young age, and that "it's never needed to be a huge change that I've had to tell everyone about".[10]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Swamp Thing Robert Niedman "Patient Zero" (Episode 29; Season 3)
1995 Law & Order Robert "Angel" (Episode 6; Season 8)
1997–98 EastEnders Josh Saunders Main role
1999 Miami 7 Jon Lee Main role
2000 L.A. 7 Jon Lee Main role
2000 S Club 7 Go Wild! Himself Reality television for World Wide Fund for Nature
2001 Hollywood 7 Jon Lee Main role
2001 S Club Search Himself / Judge / Mentor
2002 Viva S Club Jon Lee Main role
2008 Famous 5: On the Case Max Voice; Main role
2010 Casualty Craig Robbins "Mum's the Word" (Season 24; Episode 38)
Films
Year Title Role Notes
1997 The Mill on the Floss Tom (Young) Television film
1999 Back to the '50s Jon Lee Television film
1999 Boyfriends & Birthdays Jon Lee Television film
2003 Seeing Double Jon Lee
2008 Telstar: The Joe Meek Story Billy Fury

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums
Title Album details
Fallen Angel[11]

Singles

Song Year Album
"My Father's Son"[12] 2013 N/A

References

  1. ↑ "She's movin' on up". Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 February 2005. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
  2. ↑ "S Club to split up". BBC News (BBC). 21 April 2003. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
  3. ↑ "The Famous 5 get a revamp!" at The Sun.co.uk
  4. ↑ "Peter Pan" at The White Rock Theatre, Hastings
  5. ↑ Peter Pan at The Stage.co.uk
  6. ↑ Jon Lee (Casualty) interview at lastbroadcast.co.uk
  7. ↑ Panto review: Cinderella at New Victoria Theatre Woking at thisissurreytoday.co.uk
  8. ↑ Akbar, Arifa (17 December 2012). "Aladdin: A Wish Come True, O2 Theatre, London – Reviews – Theatre & Dance". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  9. ↑ "This Morning Big Fat Panto Quiz with Sonia, Jon Lee, Chico & Les Dennis – 19th December 2012". YouTube. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Sanders, James (11 August 2010). "S Club 7 performer Jon Lee talks to GT magazine". Pink Paper (London: Millivres Prowler). Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  11. ↑ "Fallen Angel - Jon Lee". iTunes. 2011-05-30. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
  12. ↑ "JON LEE'S NEW VIDEO FOR MY FATHER'S SON". S Club Bility. May 30, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.

External links

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