The Soldiers

Three serving members of the British Army formed the vocal group the Soldiers, whose emotionally charged ballads resonated deeply with British listeners and emerged as one of 2009’s unexpected commercial triumphs. Sergeant Majors Gary Chilton and Richie Maddocks, both veterans of the Gulf War, had toured internationally as clarinetists in the Corps of Army Music, whereas Lance Corporal Ryan Idzi—who completed tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan—advanced to the boot-camp round of The X Factor in 2007. In 2009 the Soldiers inked a deal with Warner Bros. Records and cut their first album, Coming Home, during a furlough from military service under producer Nick Patrick (Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins). The set mixed interpretations of material by Eric Clapton, Elton John, and Simon & Garfunkel with a single original song—the title track—and climbed to number four on the U.K. album chart. The trio also appeared at the Festival of Remembrance held at the Royal Albert Hall, completed a 23-date theater trek, and directed a share of their earnings toward several military charities. Their follow-up album, Letters Home, arrived in October 2010. The following year Robin Gibb guested on the single “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” the Royal British Legion’s annual charity release, which later appeared on the full-length Message to You issued in the same calendar year. Their fourth, self-titled album reached stores in 2012.