James Blunt – I’m a fan

The tousled haired ex-Army captain may have left behind the short back-and-sides haircuts of his days in the forces, but he's still guiding his career with military precision.

The Harrow-educated singer has wedged a lifetime of realised dreams into his 28 years. After graduating from his army-sponsored place at Bristol University, he re-tread his father's and grandfather's footsteps into the force.

He was sent to patrol the streets of Kosovo as a peacekeeper before being promoted to captain.

He was put in charge of leading 30,000 troops into Pristina as the first British officer to enter the Kosovan capital.

Having decided to become a singer while still at school, James found song-writing didn't offer much of a distraction from what was happening around him and it was time to replace guns with guitars.
Within a year of leaving the army, he'd teamed up with former 4 Non Blondes singer Linda Perry who has written and produced songs for Pink, Courtney Love and Christina Aguilera.

She signed him to her US-based label and he recorded his album in Los Angeles while lodging with actress Carrie Fisher.

A support slot on Elton John's 2004 tour followed, while this year he's headlining gigs around Europe and hitting the festival circuit at Glastonbury and Wireless.