Gareth Gates

Gareth Paul Gates (born July 12, 1984, Bradford) is a British pop singer who shot to fame in 2002 when he came second in the television talent show Pop Idol. A year earlier, he also appeared in the televised talent show Steps to the Stars presented by Claire Richards and Ian Watkins (known as H) from the pop group Steps.

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Despite not winning the competition, he was soon signed up with Simon Cowell's record label BMG, alongside the Pop Idol winner, Will Young. (Cowell had been one of the Pop Idol judges, and had been notorious for his harsh criticisms of many of the contestants.) His first single, a cover of Unchained Melody, entered the UK Top 40 at number one, knocking Will Young's first single - the double A-sided "Evergreen"/"Anything is Possible" - off the top of the chart (as Young's single was intended for the winner of Pop Idol Gates also recorded versions of both songs, which were used as B-sides for Unchained Melody). The single was voted 2002's Record of the Year by ITV viewers.

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With The Kumars, Gates sang the 2003 Comic Relief charity single, "Spirit In The Sky", another cover of an old song. This was also a new entry at number one, and stayed there for two weeks. He also appeared in the charity's Celebrity Driving School.

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Gates also suffers from a severe stammer, one that both mars his speech, makes him use prerecorded dialogue when speaking to the audience at a concert, and which also turned out to be his biggest vote-winner during the contest. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1800138.stm

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Also in 2003, Gates came sixth in the Channel 4 poll of the 100 Worst Britons.

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July 12: July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining....

1984: :This page is about the year 1984. For George Orwell's novel, see Nineteen Eighty-Four.For other uses, see 1984 (number)....

Bradford: :This article discusses the city Bradford, in West Yorkshire, England. Bradford gives its name to the metropolitan borough named the City of Bradford Metropolitan District, discussed in a separate article, which also takes in many towns and villages in the surrounding area....

Gareth Gates related Images and Photos (experimental)

Gareth Gates 3	Gates of Dawn	Antonio Gates 2008	Sir Gareth and the Knight of the Red Lawns
The Gates Project for Central Park New York City	Enemy at the Gates	Microsoft Ceo Bill Gates W. Wife Melinda at for All Kids Foundation	Gates from the Sanctuary Screen St.Paul's Cathedral 1710
Detail from the Gates 1733-34	To the Gates of Stalingrad Soviet-German Combat Operations, April-August 1942 (Hardcover) Book	Ten of the City Gates Before Demolition: Bishopshate	Gates Transom Panel and Overthrow from the Clarendon Building Oxford circa 1710 (Wrought Iron)