David Sneddon

David Sneddon, the 2002 Fame Academy champion, never matched the commercial impact of fellow reality-show graduates Will Young and Girls Aloud, yet many observers still regard him as one of the most instinctively talented performers to emerge from any televised talent contest. Born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1978, he appeared in musical theater productions while still a child and, drawing inspiration from Elton John, became self-taught on the piano. After completing a single year at the University of Paisley, he abandoned formal studies to chase a career in the performing arts. During a stage production of Romeo and Juliet he was introduced to John Kielty; the pair subsequently played several acoustic gigs before forming the band the Martians. In 2002 Sneddon auditioned for Fame Academy, the BBC’s direct response to ITV’s Pop Idol phenomenon. Although initially rejected for the final eleven, he was later reinstated when another contestant withdrew through illness. Both viewers and fellow participants quickly warmed to him, and with 3.5 million votes cast in the final he was declared the winner, finishing ahead of Sinead Quinn and Lemar. Mercury Records promptly signed him; his debut single “Stop Living a Lie” became the first entirely self-written chart-topper by any reality-television contestant. The follow-up “Don’t Let Go” reached number three, while the album Seven Years Ten Weeks, recorded with Elton John’s regular band and co-written with Kielty, entered the chart at number five. Sneddon served as support act for Bryan Adams and Elton John on their British tours, yet subsequent releases “Best of Order” (number 19) and “Baby Get Higher” (number 38) faltered commercially, prompting his departure from the label. He secured a publishing agreement with Universal Music in 2003 and, the following year, resumed live work as frontman of the indie-rock group the Sham. In 2007 he issued the five-track EP White Noise and played three sold-out concerts at the Jazz Bar during the Edinburgh Festival. Sneddon has also supplied material for soul artists Nate James and Julian Peretta.