Matt Henry (singer)
Matt Henry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Birmingham, England, United Kingdom[1] |
| Genres | Pop, Gospel, Soul, Electronic |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Years active | 2002–present |
Matt Henry MBE is a Laurence Olivier Award winning [2] British singer and actor.
His first career highlight was being chosen by the Prince's Trust to perform at the Two Nations Concert at Johannesburg Stadium in 1997 alongside the Spice Girls, Billy Ocean and Omar.
Henry studied at the Roehampton University of Surrey, obtaining a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Drama and Sociology [3] before continuing his theatrical training at the Urdang Academy in London's Covent Garden.
Henry answered an open call to audition as understudy for Simba in The Lion King while he was in his second year at Urdang Academy in London. As a student, he was not supposed to audition for professional roles, but skipped his classes. When he returned, the principal summoned Henry to his office and asked where he had been. He said he was ill and the principal told him that the casting director of The Lion King called and said he had the part.[1]
His early West End credits include Saturday Night Fever and Avenue Q.[4]
In 2013, Henry competed in series two of the BBC’s The Voice UK, where he was mentored by both will.i.am and Jessie J. He reached the grand final and ultimately finished in fourth place. His performance of Ray LaMontagne’s Trouble has racked up over 12 million hits on YouTube [5], and LaMontagne’s original recording re-entered the UK charts following the airing of his performance. [6]
In 2015, he released his debut solo album Red Flare, which was recorded live at the studio owned by The Feeling’s Dan Gillespie and produced by Mr Hudson. He promoted the album with a UK tour supporting pop icon Cyndi Lauper.[7]
In December 2017, he received an MBE in the New Years Honours list for his contribution to theatre.[2]
In 2020, he originated the role of Frankie The Foetus in Jonathan Harvey's play Our Lady of Blundellsands at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.
Notable work
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Lion King | Simba (understudy) | Lyceum Theatre |
| 2004 | Miss Saigon | John Thomas (understudy) | UK Tour |
| 2005 | Saturday Night Fever | Cesar | Apollo Victoria Theatre |
| 2006-2012 | Avenue Q | Gary Coleman | Noël Coward Theatre |
| 2008 | Hair | Hud | UK Tour |
| 2009 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Mr. Beaver | Royal & Derngate |
| 2009 | The Frontline | Benny | Shakespeare’s Globe |
| 2010 | The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas | Sammy Davis Jr. | Adelphi Theatre & UK Tour |
| 2011 | The Harder They Come | Ivanhoe "Ivan" Martin | Stratford East & UK Tour |
| 2013 | The Voice UK | Himself | Contestant, fourth place |
| 2015 | Red Flare | Debut studio album | |
| 2015 | Kinky Boots | Lola | Adelphi Theatre |
| 2018 | The Two Noble Kinsmen | Piritous | Globe Theatre |
| 2019 | One Night in Miami | Sam Cooke | UK Tour |
| 2020 | Our Lady of Blundellsands | Frankie The Foetus | Everyman Theatre, Liverpool |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Laurence Olivier Award | Best Actor in a Musical (Kinky Boots) | Won |
| 2016 | WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Actor in a Musical (Kinky Boots) | Won |
| 2017 | Order of the British Empire | MBE | Won |
| 2017 | 59th Annual Grammy Awards | Best Solo Performance (Kinky Boots West End Cast Recording) | Nominated |
References
- ^ a b Clark, Nick (5 Jun 2019). "Actor Matt Henry: 'When you leave London, you get a grittier response – it's exciting'". The Stage. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ a b Gosling, Francesca (29 December 2017). "Kinky Boots' Matt Henry adds 'humbling' MBE to awards cabinet". Irish Independent. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ Matt Henry Gives Keynote at Roehampton
- ^ Shenton, Mark (21 August 2015). "Kinky Boots Stomps Its Way to London, Beginning Tonight at the Adelphi Theatre". Playbill. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gODwKkro33g
- ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20130407/7501/
- ^ https://monstagigz.com/2016/07/01/live-review-cyndi-lauper-and-matt-henry/
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