The Blue singer who scored two solo Top 10 hits

Simon Webbe was born in 1978 to parents of Saint Kitts and Nevis descent. He became a member of the boy band Blue, who released their debut single “All Rise” in May 2001 and saw it reach number 4 in the UK. A cover of Next's “Too Close” followed in August and went to number one, and “If You Come Back” made it two by November. The album All Rise appeared in time for Christmas and sold around 1.8 million copies in the UK.

Blue kept going. Their second album, One Love (2002), entered at number 1, and its singles included “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” with Elton John, which topped the UK chart. Guilty, in late 2003, produced a version of “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours” with Stevie Wonder and Angie Stone, and the album sold more than a million copies in Britain. After that the group chose to split, after Elton John suggested their popularity was waning and that they should focus on solo careers.

Webbe took that advice. His first solo single, “Lay Your Hands”, came out on 22 August 2005 and peaked at number 4, and “No Worries” matched it at number 4, making him the only Blue member with multiple Top 10 singles. His debut album Sanctuary entered at number 28 and later climbed to number 7, eventually going double platinum. “After All This Time” followed in February 2006 and reached number 16.

The second album, Grace, was released on 13 November 2006, after the single “Coming Around Again” reached number 12, and peaked at number 11. A tour of 18 dates ran in May and June 2007, and the title track doubled as a theme for the film Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. In all, Webbe has made three solo studio albums, in 2005, 2006 and 2017, scored five UK Top 40 singles, and worked as a rapper and an actor alongside his place in Blue.