Singer Kenneth Gordon, better known as Tyler James, was born on January 5, 1982, in London, England. He began his music career in 2001 with an appearance on the underground R&B track "Wilder" by Stargate. In 2003, James signed to Island Records after they heard a demo tape featuring his future debut single, "Why Do I Do?", which peaked at Number 25 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004. His debut studio album, The Unlikely Lad, was released digitally through Island Records on August 29, 2005. In early 2005, James toured with Natasha Bedingfield and his second single "Foolish" reached Number 16 on the UK chart. Later that year, he covered "Your Woman", originally a hit for White Town, which reached Number 60. In 2012, James auditioned for The Voice UK, making it through to the live final and finishing as the joint runner-up behind series winner Leanne Mitchell. Following his success on The Voice UK, James released his second album, A Place I Go, which peaked at Number 47 on the UK Albums Chart. In 2015, he starred in the documentary film Amy about his late friend Amy Winehouse and published a memoir titled My Amy: The Life We Shared in 2021.
