Biography
Originating from the National Barbershop Youth Chorus in 2005, the vocal quartet the Great British Barbershop Boys comprises baritone Joe Knight, a police administration worker from Nottingham, tenor Alan Hughes, a teacher from Warrington, lead singer Zac Booles, a sign writer from Loughborough, and bassist Duncan Blackeby, an I.T. project manager from York. Victory at the 2008 British Quartet Championships led the four-piece to represent the U.K. at the International Barbershop Convention in Philadelphia, where Sony record executives took notice. A subsequent £1 million contract with Arista Records, a Sony subsidiary, allowed the group to record and issue their debut album, Christmas Time, late in 2010 even as they continued their day jobs. The festive collection presented distinctive readings of seasonal hymns and traditional yuletide standards, highlighted by a duet with I'd Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger. By single-handedly restoring interest in the classic boy band vocal style, they rank among the most successful a cappella acts in the U.K.
Albums