Aled Jones
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Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970, Bangor, North Wales) is a Welsh singer and television personality who first came to fame as a boy soprano.
He joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral when aged 9 and was Head Chorister within two years. During this time the purity of his voice was noted and he was signed by the local Sain record label. He is best known for singing "Walking in the air", the song from Channel 4's animated film "The Snowman", based on the book by Raymond Briggs. The song reached No. 5 in the UK charts. Ironically, the version in the film was not performed by Aled, but by Peter Auty, a St. Paul's Cathedral choirboy. Aled Jones was 12 when he started his recording career and 16 years old when he stopped following his voice breaking. During that time he sold more than 6 million albums and sung for the Pope and the Queen. He also presented children's television programmes during this period.
Following the breaking of his voice, he studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. In 1995 he secured a leading role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and met his future wife Claire while touring in Blackpool.
He is now in his mid-30s and recording again, mostly religious songs. He has recorded 16 albums, many of which reached Gold or Platinum status in the UK and Australia.
Aled Jones is now a presenter on Classic FM and Songs of Praise, and also presents various programmes on Welsh radio and television. He married in 2001 and has two young children, Emilia and Lucas.
In Autumn 2004 he participated in the BBC ONE pro-celebrity ballroom dancing game show Strictly Come Dancing, dancing with Lilia Kopylova.
Partial discography
- Aled Jones, Sain, 1994 (re-release)
- Diolch â Chân, Sain, 1983
- Ave Maria, Sain, 1984
- Too Young to Know, Sain, 1984 (single)
- Pie Iesu, 1995
- Aled, UCJ, 2002
- From The Heart, Castle Pulse, 2002
- Whenever God Shines His Light, Music Digital, 2002
- Higher, UCJ, 2003
- Hear My Prayer, Sain, 2003
- The Christmas Album, UCJ, 2004
- Higher, UCJ, 2005 (re-release)