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Tony Mortimer

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Tony Mortimer
Mortimer performing with East 17 during a promotional tour in Cologne, Germany in 2012
Mortimer performing with East 17 during a promotional tour in Cologne, Germany in 2012
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Michael Mortimer
Born (1970-10-21) 21 October 1970 (age 54)
London, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • keyboards
Years active1992–present
LabelsFOD Records (2011–present)

Anthony Michael Mortimer (born 21 October 1970) is a British singer, songwriter and record producer from London. He is a former member of the boy band East 17, who were originally active from 1991 to 1997 and sold over 20 million records worldwide. Mortimer wrote most of the band's songs, including their only number-one single, "Stay Another Day".

Career

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Mortimer was a member of the 1990s boy band East 17,[1] and was the band's primary songwriter. With East 17, Mortimer had seven top-ten singles and four hit albums on the UK singles chart and UK Albums Chart, respectively, between 1992 and 1997. He turned to songwriting[clarification needed] when the group disbanded in 1997, due to negative media coverage after fellow member Brian Harvey said that he had taken twelve ecstasy tablets in one night.[1] In 1998, Mortimer's East 17 bandmates briefly re-formed the group without him, and released two singles as E-17. They disbanded again the following year.[2]

During his time in East 17, Mortimer wrote the Childliners "The Gift of Christmas"[3] which was a charity single featuring other popular chart acts at the time such as MN8, Backstreet Boys, Peter Andre, Boyzone and Dannii Minogue among others. Mortimer has continued as a record producer since 1997, from his studio in Essex,[1] as well as recording his own songs including the single "N Toxyc 8".

Mortimer has also managed bands, including girl group Urban Angel, whose members included Roxanne Pallett, who wrote some of the group's songs. The band broke up after Pallett won a role in ITV soap opera Emmerdale.[4] In December 2012, Mortimer appeared as a panellist on Channel 5 show The Wright Stuff and again in June 2013. on 17 June 2013 he released his debut solo album Songs from the Suitcase.[5] In early 2014, Mortimer departed from East 17 to focus more on his solo career. In December 2019, Mortimer released a re-recorded version of "Stay Another Day" with the Waltham Forest Youth Choir, to raise money for mental health charity CALM.[6]

Personal life

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Mortimer has two daughters with his partner Tracey. The award-winning lyrics of his song, "Stay Another Day", were inspired by the death of his brother, Ollie, by suicide. [7] In October 2000, Mortimer was chosen as one of four pall bearers at the funeral of gangster Reggie Kray.[8][9][10] Mortimer once collaborated with the Kray twin, when he got JJ Gilmour to record a poem Kray had written while in prison. The song has never been released, but Tony still has the tape at his home.[9]

Awards

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  • Ivor Novello Awards[11]
    • Songwriter of the Year (won) (1995)
    • The Best Selling Song – "Stay Another Day" (Brits Award nominated) (1995)
    • The PRS Most Performed Work – "Stay Another Day" (nominated) (1995)

Discography

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See also: East 17 discography

Albums

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  • Songs from the Suitcase (2013)

Singles

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  • N Toxyc 8 (2006)
  • We Will Stand (with Fighters Forever) (2002)
  • Shake It Down (2013)
  • Rain in England (with Julian Lennon) (2013)
  • Stay Another Day (2013)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Essex at 20: Tony Mortimer". BBC. 28 December 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  2. ^ "60 SECONDS: Tony Mortimer". Metro. 26 May 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Childiners - The Gift of Christmas". Discogs.
  4. ^ Lawler, Danielle (4 September 2005). "BULLIES BEAT ME UP, SET MY HAIR ON FIRE AND CALLED ME A N***** YET". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  5. ^ "Fod Welcomes Tony Mortimer As A Solo Artist". Fod Records. 8 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  6. ^ "East 17's Tony Mortimer re-records Stay Another Day with Walthamstow choir for Christmas". itv.com. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  7. ^ "East 17 star Tony Mortimer is Stansted family man". Herts & Essex Observer. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 25 December 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Gangster Kray's final journey". CNN. Retrieved 1 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b Reporter, News (5 June 2009). "East 17's Tony Mortimer reveals Reggie Kray collaboration". NME. Retrieved 21 December 2024. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ Kelso, Paul (12 October 2000). "Kray myth lives on at last funeral". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  11. ^ "The Ivors 1995". The Ivors Academy. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
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