Aled : the Autobiography

by Aled Jones, Darren Henley

Aled Jones was a choirboy with a remarkable voice, whose prodigious talent propelled him to international stardom. Before he was sixteen, he had already sold more than six million records and had become a fixture on television and radio. He has worked alongside such greats as Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Neville Marriner, Howard Blake, and Mike Oldfield. Some of the high points of his early career include performances at the Hollywood Bowl and the wedding of Bob Geldof and Paula Yates, as well as singing privately for the Prince and Princess of Wales. Best known as a boy soprano for his hit "Walking in the Air," Aled tells the full story of this phenomenal record and the effect it had on his life. Always refreshingly honest and self-effacing, Aled reveals how he faced up to life after his voice had broken and how he carved out a new career for himself on stage, record, television, and radio. His story begins with his idyllic childhood on the Welsh island of Anglesey and his years as a chorister at Bangor Cathedral, during which his family provided wonderful support and encouragement as he rose to fame. He tells of his studies at the Royal Academy of Music and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and delves behind the scene of some of Britain’s best-know institutions, such as Songs of Praise, BBC Wales and Classic FM. Aled reveals the truth about the man behind the music in this frank, heartwarming and funny account of his life.

268 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2005

About the author

Aled Jones MBE (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer best known for his television work with BBC and ITV.
Jones came to fame as a treble, known for his single "Walking in the Air" in 1985 which peaked at #5 in the singles chart. In recent times, Jones has presented various television programmes for both BBC and ITV.

He has been one of the main presenters of Songs of Praise since 2004, as well as one of the presenters of Escape to the Country since 2010 and Cash in the Attic between 2010 and 2013.
Since September 2012, Jones has co-presented the ITV Breakfast programme Daybreak, alongside Lorraine Kelly and Kate Garraway, having replaced former hosts Christine Bleakley and Adrian Chiles on the show.

He has presented various programmes on the BBC Radio network, mainly for Radio 2 and participated in the second series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004, where he was partnered with professional dancer Lilia Kopylova, he was voted off in the seventh week, narrowly missing out from claiming third place.

He was awarded an MBE in June 2013 for services to music and broadcasting for charitable services. He collected his award on 17 October 2013.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Aled was indulging in a name dropping contest. I'm sure that it was all genuine experience, but it felt like "never mind the quality, feel the width". Still it was an engaging read, perhaps because I share a similar childhood background, having been born and raised in nearby Menai Bridge. The innocence and naivety about the world outside comes through strongly, although by now I would think Aled is worldly wise!

To summarise: it is the story of a boy, with a singular talent, done good and going on to find his niche in life as an adult. The story could do with updating as we are now 14 years on from where it ends.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting as I didn't know anything more of Aled Jones than his song Walking in the Air and that he presented Songs of Praise. Whilst some of it was interesting I found it irritating that everyone he seems to have come across was kind and generous, not that I was looking for him to have a go at loads of people or share indepth details, but this became quite repetative and irksome as the book went on. Nevertheless Aled sounds a nice guy and I am glad that I took the time to read this.

[Becky Keeley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book for a penny, plus shipping and handling. I love Aled Jones singing! He sings hymns and inspirational pop songs. I was hoping for a very different autobiography. Since he sings hymns and hosts a spiritual, musical TV program over in Britain, I thought he would delve into his spiritual beliefs and his gratitude for such a beautiful musical gift he has. He did kind of mention these, but it was like he was afraid to go deeper. Jones focuses more on all the famous people he has met and all his concerts because he became quite famous as a teenager. He sang for members of the royal family and sang at rock stars' weddings. The other focus was what would he do when his voice broke and he was no longer a celebrated "boy soprano." This book was his public persona, and I wanted to know how he personally felt.

But he still chose to continue singing sacred music and hosting a TV program that focuses on this and other inspirational music. His favorite hymn is "How Great Thou Art."