Aled Jones

Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970) is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor.

Jones' recording career was temporarily halted in the late 1980s.

By then he had sung for Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth II, and Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales in a private recital, as well as presenting numerous children's television programmes.

In 1982, Jones won the Cerdd Dant solo competitions for competitors under 12 at the Urdd Eisteddfod.

Jones became famous for the cover version of "Walking in the Air", the song from Channel 4's animated film The Snowman, based on the book by Raymond Briggs.

Although it is often reported that Jones sang the version used in the 1982 film, that was actually performed by Peter Auty, a St Paul's Cathedral choirboy.

As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of "Walking in the Air", which reached the UK top five.

Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and on radio (for the BBC and Classic FM).

The record reached number five in the UK charts in 1985.

In June 1985, Jones was the subject of an Emmy Award–winning BBC Omnibus documentary entitled The Treble.

Jones, with the National Philharmonic Orchestra, was behind the Santa Claus: The Movie, original motion picture soundtrack, "Every Christmas Eve" of 1985.

Also in 1985, Jones was employed by Mike Oldfield to sing on his single "Pictures in the Dark", a three-voice song, on which he performed with Anita Hegerland and Barry Palmer, but the song did not reach the UK Top 40.

In 1986, he sang the theme song for the Siriol Animation film A Winter Story.

The song was a modest success, reaching number 51 in the UK Singles Chart.

In 1986, he sang the oratorio Athalia.

He sang at the wedding of celebrities Bob Geldof and Paula Yates in 1986.

Jones also had the distinction of being the first artist to have two classical albums listed simultaneously in the popular music charts, and worked with Leonard Bernstein (Chichester Psalms).

Jones' first biography, Walking on Air, was published in 1986.

In September 1990, Jones made his acting debut at the Royal Theatre (Northampton) in Shaun McKenna's adaptation of Richard Llewellyn's How Green Was My Valley playing the teenage Huw Morgan.

Jones went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music for three years and the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, before beginning his adult recording career, which has featured a largely religious/inspirational repertoire.

In 1995 he took the leading role in the long-running production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Blackpool Wintergardens Opera house stage.

From September 1996 to May 1997 Jones played the young Tom Gradgrind (a non-singing role) in a large-scale national touring production of Charles Dickens's Hard Times.

Theatres at which the play was presented included Theatre Royal, Brighton, Bath Theatre Royal and Richmond Theatre.

Following the launch of his first baritone album, Aled on the Universal Music label in Australia in May 2003, Jones visited the country on a promotional tour.

For the BBC, he has presented Songs of Praise (since 2004), Cash in the Attic (2010–2012), Escape to the Country (2009–2013), and Going Back Giving Back (since 2016).

Jones was born in St. David's Hospital in Bangor, Caernarfonshire, the only child of Nest Rowlands, a teacher, and Derek John Jones, a draughtsman for a shipbuilder.

He was raised in the small Welsh-speaking community of Llandegfan on Anglesey, and attended Ysgol David Hughes (a secondary school).

Jones joined the choir of Bangor Cathedral at age nine and was lead soloist within two years, although he was never Head Chorister.

The remarkable quality of Jones' treble voice was appreciated by a member of the congregation, Hefina Orwig Evans, who wrote a letter to record company Sain, and he was duly signed.

In 2005, Jones launched his autobiography, Aled: The Autobiography, written in collaboration with Darren Henley.

He has since successfully toured in concert there five times: in Dec 2003, Aug 2006, Oct 2008, Aug/Sep 2010 and Feb 2015, performing in eight cities.

Jones released two singles with Terry Wogan in aid of the Children in Need appeal.

From 3 July to 30 August 2008, Jones played the lead role of Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff.

He returned to the stage, playing Bob Wallace in White Christmas at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, and at The Lowry, Salford Quays, from November 2009 until 9 January 2010, and again from 11 to 26 November 2011 at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, from 1 to 17 December at the Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin, and at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool (22 December 2011 to 7 January 2012) On 8 November 2014 Jones made his West End debut, again playing Bob Wallace in "White Christmas", this time at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road.

Following the publication of Aled's Forty Favourite Hymns in 2009, a further book, Favourite Christmas Carols, was published on 28 October 2010; Jones took the book on his UK tour in November and December 2010.

On 29 November, his CD, Aled's Christmas Gift, was issued to accompany the book.

On 11 October 2010, Jones was confirmed to take over as stand-in presenter of the early morning breakfast slot on BBC Radio 2 following the departure of Sarah Kennedy, a role he occasionally covered in the years leading up to her departure.

Jones covered this slot for six weeks until the beginning of his UK tour.

In September 2012, Jones joined ITV Breakfast where he presented Daybreak (2012–2014), alongside Lorraine Kelly and Kate Garraway.

In 2013, Jones released his extended autobiography, Aled Jones: My Story.