Kameelion
Kameelion | |
|---|---|
 Kameelion in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ben Alexander Williams |
| Born | 19 March 1992 Rhyl, Wales |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter and producer |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Labels | BMG |
| Associated acts | Judie Tzuke, MNEK, Aggro Santos, Lily Allen, DJ Ironik, Clive Farrington |
Ben Alexander Williams (born 19 March 1992), known professionally as Kameelion, is a singer, songwriter and record producer. He gained recognition after uploading his original album "The Boy Who Made Sounds" on to YouTube. Due to its success, he was signed to BMG. He released his debut single "Don't Even Know Your Name" in 2012, which was playlisted to BBC Radio 1 in the first week of release as well as gaining popularity in Belgium. His second single, "Don't Cry", subsequently gained over 100,000 streams within a week. In May 2021, he released his comeback single, “Ghost”, which gained popularity in Turkey and gained over 10,000 streams on SoundCloud within a day.
Early Life[edit]
He was born at Glan Clwyd Hospital in North Wales on 19 March 1992. After several years having severe asthma and breathing problems, he was unable to talk until he was at primary school and suffered with a stutter. After seeing several speech therapists, it improved whilst growing up, and it eventually cleared at 6 years of age.
He attended Ysgol Bryn Hedydd primary school, in Rhyl. During his secondary education, after a brief spell at Rhyl High School, he moved to Denbigh High School, where his love of music started. He then went on to study Performing Arts at Coleg Llandrillo, in Rhos-On-Sea, specializing in musical theatre, alongside actor Bryan Parry.
Music Career[edit]
After finishing his Performing Arts course at college, both Parry and himself graduated with triple distinction grades. His first job in the entertainment scene was briefly working in a JLS tribute band, touring the U.K. in clubs and private events.
He found a passion for writing songs due to song writing being included in his college course. He purchased some recording equipment and began recording some original material in his bedroom. After releasing his debut album "The Boy Who Made Sounds" in 2012, he moved to London to pursue his career in music. At this time, his original songs were uploaded specifically to YouTube only, which caught the attention of music mogul Albert Samuel, one of the most successful and well respected music industry managers.[1] He was then signed up to BMG. At this time, he was also managing acts such as So Solid Crew, Loick Essien, Modestep, Wretch 32 and Tulisa. In an interview, when asked where the name Kameelion originated from, he stated he wanted "something different" to his birth name and something that would "stand out". He explained that when he first started song writing, he was "experimenting with several music genres" and felt like he was "adapting to different musical styles", which made him feel like he was a "chameleon" within music.[2]
His first single, "Don't Even Know Your Name" was released and soon was played on BBC Radio 1, after being playlisted within the first week. The song also gained popularity across Europe, especially across Belgium. He was then invited to perform on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge, a segment on the station where an artist performs an original song and a cover, usually performed acoustically. Kameelion performed an acoustic version of Swedish House Mafia's "Don't You Worry Child".[3]
He has worked with MNEK and Skye Adams, who both had experience working with Rudimental, Little Mix, A*M*E, Gorgon City, Jessie J, Olly Murs and Kylie Minogue. He released his second single, "Don't Cry", which gained over 100,000 streams within it's first week of release.
Kameelion has co-written with several other musicians, including several rappers. He collaborated with DJ Ironik, where he featured as a guest vocalist on "Wiseman", a track from Ironik's E.P "Independently Unstoppable", which was released in 2013 and charted at number 68 in the UK Singles Chart. He also worked with rapper Aggro Santos, who featured on Kameelion's track "Can't Let It Go". His most notable collaboration was with Lily Allen, who used her vocals on the chorus of his single, "I See You". The track was released as a promotional single only, along with an animated music video. It was one of the first music videos online to use kinetic typography, a type of lyric animation that was rarely seen at the time, but has since become increasingly popular with recording artists and musicians, who now release lyric videos on their YouTube channel on a regular basis.[4][5]
He then went on to work alongside singer/songwriter Judie Tzuke, who is best known for her 1979 hit "Stay with Me till Dawn". After several recording sessions, they wrote two songs, "Spider Girl" and "Tallula", which were later uploaded to SoundCloud.[6]
To gain a fan base and touring experience, he was often used as a support act on many tours and also performed at several Christmas light switch on events across the U.K.[7] His music also gained popularity within the LGBT community; resulting in him annually performing at several Gay Pride events, including Belfast[8], Liverpool[9], Leeds and Cardiff, where he performed to over 35,000 people at the Principality Stadium.[10][11] He has also performed at several fashion shows, including Birmingham and Manchester Fashion week, both hosted by fashion retailer Boohoo.[12][13][14]
During a meet and greet at a personal appearance at Cardiff's PRYZM nightclub, South Wales Police were called to temporarily close Greyfriars Road, where the nightclub was situated. It was closed as a safety precaution due to the amount of fans queuing outside. The nightclub later took to Facebook and Twitter to thank the local police for helping and also thanked the public for co-operating and apologised for any inconvenience caused.
Kameelion's songs also receive regular airplay on BBC Radio Wales.[15] He stated his music is influenced by a combination of artists, such as Pet Shop Boys, Ultravox, Coldplay, Mika, The Script and Calvin Harris.[16] He was branded in the press as "the lovechild of Neil Tennant and Avicii".
In 2015, he parted ways with his manager Albert Samuel and also with BMG. He then went on to be managed by Clive Farrington, the lead singer of When in Rome.
In January 2021, Kameelion announced to his Twitter followers that he had made a return to the music scene, with a brand new song, "Things U Do", an adaptation of "Thinking of You" by Sister Sledge, due to be released on iTunes and Spotify later that month. He also created an adaptation of "Give Me Up", originally by American gospel singer Beau Williams. In April 2021, he released a new single, "Ghost". Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all of his scheduled live performances for the most of 2020 were cancelled.
Television Work[edit]
In January 2015, he was a contestant on ITV's Stars In Their Eyes, performing as Neil Diamond and singing "Hello Again", a song from the 1980 movie The Jazz Singer.[17] He finished in second place.[18][19] The six-part series was a revival show hosted by Harry Hill, but was most famously hosted by Matthew Kelly, who stood down in 2004.[20] The performance gained a lot of positive social media attention, particularly on Twitter, which saw 'Neil Diamond' being one of the top trending subjects of tweets in the United Kingdom.[21] The episode gained 9.7 million viewers nationwide and was the highest of the series.[22]
Kameelion also featured in the first pilot series of Tattoo Fixers, which premiered on E4 in June 2015. He featured alongside his then partner Gigi, who was having a tattoo redesigned.[23]
In April 2022, he appeared on Channel 5’s Bargain Loving Brits In The Sun: Costa Living, a show revealing the reality of living in the Costa Blanca area of Spain.
His original song, “Shine” was featured on the soundtrack of the fifth season of “House”, an American medical drama which ran on the Fox network for eight seasons. Many of his work with producers and songwriters have also been featured in scenes on ITVBe's The Only Way Is Essex and on ITV2's Love Island.[24]
Other Projects[edit]
From 2015 to 2017, Kameelion was employed by several primary schools across Britain, in a bid to try and inspire children into enjoying music and to be inspired by song writing.[25] He worked predominantly at Ysgol Emmanuel, in his hometown of Rhyl,[26] before moving on to John F Kennedy Special School in Beckton in East London. He then ventured in to the area of Essex and worked at St John's Church of England School in Buckhurst Hill and finally at Latton Green, Longwood, and Abbotsweld Primary schools, which were all a part of the NET Academies Trust, based in Harlow, in the west area of Essex.
In 2016, Kameelion released a tribute song, "Fly" in memory of up and coming band Viola Beach, who in the early hours of 13 February 2016, all tragically died together with their manager Craig Tarry in a road accident in Södertälje, southwest of Stockholm, Sweden.[27] Being saddened by the news, Kameelion encouraged his 50,000 Twitter followers to start tweeting the hashtag #ViolaBeachToNumber1, which soon started to trend online with thousands of users tweeting it. Due to the band getting national exposure on Twitter, their music started moving up the charts on a daily basis. Eventually, due to this social media campaign, on 5 August 2016, their studio album, "Viola Beach", peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart.[28] A lead single, "Swings & Waterslides", also peaked at number 11 on UK Singles Chart.[29]
Benidorm cabaret circuit[edit]
In 2017, he started performing shows on the cabaret circuit in Benidorm, predominantly performing as the front man in a Take That tribute called “The Flood” aswell as a duo show called “Take That: Take Two”. He also performs another show, a tribute to the Golden Oldies — featuring songs from Matt Monro, Jim Reeves, Gene Pitney and others from that era.
In March 2022, he started performing a brand new tribute show to Neil Diamond, which can be seen nightly across the town.
Personal Life[edit]
Before being a musician, he was a keen footballer. In 2014, he competed in Soapstar Soccerstar, a charity football match for the "Once Upon A Smile" charity held at the Racecourse stadium, the home of Wrexham A.F.C. Several famous Welsh ex-professional footballers were involved, such as Chris Coleman and Mickey Thomas, as well as some celebrities and television personalities.[30] He also was in the line-up for the 2014 Celebrity Soccer Six tournament alongside musicians such as James Arthur and Matt Willis, as well as television stars from The X Factor, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale. The event was held at Elland Road, the home ground of Leeds United.[31] He is also an avid Manchester United supporter.[32]
In February 2012, Kameelion was involved with Make A Wish Foundation, a worldwide charity that grants wishes for children and young people who are living with life-threatening illnesses, often being terminal. 15 year old Laila Trojnacka, from Sheffield, who was diagnosed with cancer, wrote to the charity as she really wanted to meet him. An unexpected surprise visit was planned for Laila, which included a limousine, personal photoshoot and a meal at a local TGI Friday's. In an interview, he claimed that this moment was a "career highlight" and he was "honoured to do such an amazing thing to make someone happy".
In April 2014, he became one of the ambassadors for the James Bulger Memorial Trust.[33]
Kameelion posed for the Balls To Cancer charity in 2015, which was published in Gay Times Magazine. Celebrities from all of the industry, such as Calum Best, TOWIE's Bobby Norris, British Olympic gymnast Louis Smith and singer Marcus Collins, all posed in a "suggestive" naked manner, to promote the awareness of testicular cancer.[34][35]
He has several tattoos, including a unique detailed inking of Notre Dame on his arm. This is due to Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame being his favourite film as a child. He also has a tattoo in memory of his friend and fellow singer, Scott Bench-Taylor, who died suddenly in 2018, aged 43.[36]
In 2011, an online showbiz blog announced that he was in a relationship with X Factor contestant Cher Lloyd. They both confirmed on Twitter that this was untrue, with Lloyd tweeting to say that they shared the same agent, but had "never even spoken" to each other.[37][38]
In 2013, he dated glamour model Gigi Petite. The couple then separated in 2015.[39][40]
In 2021, he revealed via Instagram that he was in a relationship with Amaya Sáez O’Leary.
In 2017, he moved to the Costa Blanca area of Spain. He previously resided in Buckhurst Hill in Essex.
Discography[edit]
Singles[edit]
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | BEL (VL) [41] | |||
| 2012 | "Don't Even Know Your Name" | 67 | 18 | The Boy Who Made Sounds |
| "Don't Cry" | 31 | 54 | ||
| 2021 | "Things U Do" | - | - | Things U Do |
Promotional singles[edit]
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "I See You" (featuring Lily Allen) |
Non-album track |
Songwriting credits[edit]
| Year | Artist | Album | Song | Co-written with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Laura Ellement | Songs About Ernest | "I Miss You" | Laura Ellement |
| 2014 | DJ Ironik | Independently Unstoppable E.P | "Wiseman" | DJ Ironik |
| 2014 | Aggro Santos | Aggro Culture | "Can't Let It Go" | Yuri "Aggro" Santos, Uzoechi Emenike |
| 2015 | Roll Deep | Winner Stays On | "Picture Perfect" | David Anthony |
| 2015 | Judie Tzuke | Non-album single | "Spider Girl" | Judie Tzuke, David P. Goodes |
| 2015 | Judie Tzuke | Non-album single | "Tallula" | Judie Tzuke, David P. Goodes |
References[edit]
- ↑ WalesOnline (2009-02-11). "Mogul could have singer's key to fame". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-03. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Mag, Rocks (2014-08-11). "Marbella Rocks Magazine". Rocks Mag. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ RADIO 1 LIVE LOUNGE - Kameelion - "Don't You Worry Child" (Swedish House Mafia Cover), archived from the original on 26 November 2020, retrieved 2021-02-01 Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Marcus Collins and Alys Williams set for North Wales Pride 2014". North Wales Chronicle. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Koehler, Corey (2012-11-01). "5 Lyric Videos that Got it Right: Creativity is Key". Musicgoat.com. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-12. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Kameelion - Spider Girl, archived from the original on 20 February 2021, retrieved 2021-02-01 Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Music, stars and fireworks". Leader Live. 22 November 2013. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Party in the Square 2014". Belfast Pride | Diverse - Equal - Proud. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Pride in Liverpool". LCR Pride. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Mardi Gras is a show of unity and pride". Wales Online. 30 August 2013. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "North Wales Pride 2014 - 4th to 5th July at Hendre Hall". Blazing Minds. 3 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Week, Birmingham International Fashion (2013-03-06). "Birmingham International Fashion Week: KAMEELION WILL BE PERFORMING LIVE AT BHMFW!". Birmingham International Fashion Week. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
- ↑ "Kameelion Aint Changing No Colour, Just Music". Christina 'Tosin' Sonde. 2013-03-24. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-18. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 8898791. "La Vida Magazine | Issue 1". Issuu. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-18. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "BBC Radio Wales Playlist". BBC. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Kameelion". Alfitude. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
- ↑ "It's tonight's fourth Star Guest!". www.itv.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-09. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Hello Again, Neil Diamond!". www.itv.com. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ↑ Trewyn, Hywel (2015-01-28). "Rhyl singing sensation aims to wow Stars in Their Eyes audience". North Wales Live. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 2021-02-09. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Guide, British Comedy (2014-08-21). "Harry Hill confirmed as Stars In Their Eyes host". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Kameelion on Twitter". Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Rees, Kate (2015-01-31). "Stars in their Eyes: Singing tutor Ben Williams is... Neil Diamond". WalesOnline. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Tattoo Fixers". The Sun. 12 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Music from House, M.D. S5E06". Tunefind. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-03. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Ysgol Emmanuel - Choir". Twitter. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Ysgol Emmanuel - Twitter feed". Twitter. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Viola Beach band crash 'awful tragedy', says coroner". BBC News. 2016-12-07. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Tributes are paid after British band, Viola Beach die in car crash in Sweden". Westminster World. 2016-02-15. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Viola Beach single Swings & Waterslides enters top 20". BBC News. 2016-02-19. Archived from the original on 29 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "LOOK: Wrexham FC legends take on soap stars for charity clash at the Racecourse". Daily Post. 12 May 2014.
- ↑ "Soccer Six". Alamy.com. 20 February 2014.
- ↑ "Twitter Goes Nuts As It's Reported Manchester United Are About To Bid For Paul Pogba". Pundit Arena. 2016-07-06. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-04. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "James Bulger Memorial Trust". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Greenwood, Carl (2014-12-19). "TOWIE boys say Balls to Cancer by stripping NAKED for Gay Times magazine charity issue". mirror. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Gay Times raise the bar on Male Cancer Awareness – Balls To Cancer – Help Us Fight Cancer With Fun!". Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Benidorm rocked by death of popular Brit soul singer". The Sun. 2018-10-02. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 2021-02-01. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Mohan, Brad (2011-11-28). "Cher Lloyd Fan Zone: Cher Lloyd - Overview". Cher Lloyd Fan Zone. Archived from the original on 20 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-12. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Cher Lloyd on Twitter". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Tattoo Fixers". The Sun. 12 July 2014. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Let's shake on it! Dancer can twerk her bum and boobs at the same time". The Sun. 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
- ↑ Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Kameelion". Belgium (Flanders) Charts Portal. Hung Medien (Steffen Hung).
External links[edit]
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