Joe Stilgoe (born 29 May 1979) is a British singer, pianist and songwriter.
Early life and education
Stilgoe was born in Sevenoaks, Kent. He is the son of the lyricist and entertainer Sir Richard Stilgoe, and opera singer Annabel Hunt.
Educated at
Sevenoaks School
Sevenoaks School is a highly selective coeducational independent school in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. It is the second oldest non-denominational school in the United Kingdom, dating back to 1432, only behind Oswestry (1407). Over 1,000 day pupils ...
, Stilgoe went on to study music at the
University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
achieving a First Class degree. After spending a year performing on cruise ships, Stilgoe continued his musicianship at
Trinity College of Music
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance is a music and dance conservatoire based in London, England. It was formed in 2005 as a merger of two older institutions – Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance Centre. The conservatoire has ...
.
Musical career
During his time at Trinity College, he began to get noticed in bars and clubs, with a long term residency at
The Dorchester
The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...
hotel, London.
Stilgoe's first public engagement was at the Pizza on the Park, London in 2004. Following the performance,
Dame Cleo Laine
Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth (born Clementine Dinah Bullock; 28 October 1927)Sir John Dankworth on their Radio 2 show Live at the Stables. He then signed with jazz label
Candid
Candid may refer to:
* Candid (app), a mobile app for anonymous discussions
* Candid (organization), providing information on US nonprofit companies
* Candid Records, a record label
* Ilyushin Il-76, NATO reporting name ''Candid'', a Soviet aircraf ...
in 2007, Candid released his debut album ''I Like This One'' in 2008 to praise from national press.
In 2007, Stilgoe supported
Melody Gardot
Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer.
At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...
at the
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten.
The ...
. His debut solo appearance at
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
in 2011 with sell-out show 'One Hour!' received a five star review from ''
The Scotsman
''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...
''.
After contractual issues with Candid, Stilgoe bought himself out of the contract and used money earned from his concerts to record demos of new songs. Nick Stewart then signed Stilgoe under his management with Nick Stewart and Associates in 2010.
With producer
James McMillan James (or Jim or Jimmy) McMillan or MacMillan may refer to:
Sportspeople
* James McMillan (footballer, born c. 1866) (c. 1866–?), played for Sunderland
* James McMillan (footballer, born 1869) (1869–1937), played for Scotland,Everton and St B ...
, Stilgoe recorded a new album ''We Look to the Stars'', released in July 2012. The album went to number 1 in the Amazon Jazz Chart on its day of release. From the album, We Should Kiss was released as a single in July 2012. The single was used by French shoe designer
Christian Louboutin
Christian Louboutin (; born 7 January 1963) is a French fashion designer whose high-end stiletto footwear incorporates shiny, red-lacquered soles that have become his signature. Initially a freelance designer for fashion houses, he started hi ...
in his showcase –Fue at Le Crazy Horse in Paris and exhibition at the London Design Museum.Helliker. Adam, 'Katie beard Gets Expensive Heels for Engagement Present', Sunday Express. Sunday 15 April 2012 In February 2014, Stilgoe released a live album ''Songs on Film'', which includes songs from classic American films and Stilgoe's original compositions inspired by them. The album was commercially released by Linn Records on 17 November 2014, alongside his earlier albums. Stilgoe has participated in numerous recording sessions as both a pianist and singer; including the single "Elephant" by
Alexandra Burke
Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Syc ...
.
A publishing contract with
Kassner Music
Edward Kassner (28 February 1920 – 19 November 1996) was an Austrian-born music industry executive and songwriter who was responsible for establishing the music publisher Kassner Music and the President record label. He lived and worked in ...
was signed in 2012, and after a series of album releases, Stilgoe then transferred to The Music Sales Group in 2019. His album first album with the company, The Heat is On! - Swinging the 80s, a big band swing-inspired re-composition of 80s blockbuster themes is scheduled to be released in June 2019.
Comedy and radio
Stilgoe's radio work includes contributions and special guest appearances with
Alan Carr
Alan Graham Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian, broadcaster and writer. His breakthrough was in 2001, winning the '' City Life'' Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Awards. In the ensuing years, Carr's career burgeon ...
The Now Show
''The Now Show'' is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which satirises the week's news. The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The show used to feature regular appearances by J ...
'' in 2011 and 2013, was previously a member of
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
's ''The Horne Section'' with
Alex Horne
Alexander James Jeffery Horne (born 10 September 1978) is a British comedian and musician. Horne is the creator of BAFTA award-winning TV series '' Taskmaster'', in which he also performs as the Taskmaster's assistant. He is the host and ban ...
, and hosts Joe Stilgoe & Friends at
Ronnie Scott's
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959.
History
The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sco ...
, a gala featuring comedians, musicians, and performance acts.
Personal life
Stilgoe lives in west London with his wife, actress and director Katie Beard.