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A TALENTED former British School of Bahrain (BSB) pupil whose life spiralled out of control when he had to return to England in the midst of his mother’s marriage break-up is just one step away from TV show-winning stardom and securing a recording contract.
James Arthur has reached the final of The X Factor UK and will be competing for glory against two other male singers on Saturday.
Cheering him on from afar will be his former teachers, classmates and current pupils in the kingdom who remember him as popular James Rafferty, or simply Raff, the ‘class clown’ with a passion to perform.
Now aged 24, James clearly remembers his traumatic childhood which resulted in him having to leave behind his comfortable expat lifestyle and ending up in foster care.
He said: “The contrast between lifestyles was a shock. I was at a private school and we lived in a nice villa with a pool. Then my mum and stepdad split up, we all moved back to England to a two-bedroom house and I got a bit lost.
“Going back to working class Britain tipped me off the rails and I didn’t have a lot to believe in.”
The singer moved to Bahrain at the age of 10 and spent four years of ‘luxury’ on the island before ending up on the streets of the depressed north-east town of Middlesbrough, once labelled No1 in the list of the worst places to live in England.
“I started sleeping rough when I was 15. I got kicked out of my mum’s house and I didn’t really care where I slept,” he explained. “I understand why she chucked me out because I was unbearable to live with. She couldn’t cope with me because I was so angry. I didn’t have a male role model and I couldn’t relate to her so I lashed out. I either crashed on someone’s couch or a park bench.”
His friends in Bahrain, however, remember him fondly as the impressive young man currently wooing fans in their millions who have voted for him in recent weeks on the popular TV show.
BSB student Mena Amin, 14, from Adliya, said: “I’m so proud that such a talent came from Bahrain, especially because I go to the same school he went to. He is so good, I’m routing for him.”
His ex-classmate Alexandra Potter, now living in the US state of Philadelphia, remembers how happy and easy going the sociable young James was.
Alexandra, 24, said: “He was very funny and never took anything seriously, and was friends with everyone. The teachers were very fond of him as well as he would joke around with them and the whole class loved to watch.
“I am happy that he is doing so well in the competition and I feel a sense of pride that I knew him and even more so that he went to school in Bahrain.”
Teacher Brenda Laskey said: “I remember James as a confident singer and budding guitarist who often performed at school talent events.”
Ms Laskey added: “He developed a strong, clear voice. His presence in performance was always emotionally-charged and vivid: the contrast between his slight frame and the intensity that he conveyed was striking even then.
“Fortunately for James the music teacher at the time, Mrs Yvonne Edge, was a vocal specialist in her own right and a music graduate who, during her time at the BSB, worked hard to establish a high standard of solo and choral singing here and encouraged students like James to find their own voice.
“Life was not easy for James in the end for a number of reasons, but when he was making music he was in his natural element.”
James opened up during the weekend’s semi-final about his struggles during a chat with his mentor Nicole Scherzinger, saying that being on the X Factor UK helped him feel happy again.
“This really has saved my life. I was so unhappy before, just busking on the street and recording songs nobody would ever hear. Now I feel like I’m on the brink of an amazing opportunity,” he said.
Judge Gary Barlow suggested his rendition of The Power of Love was ‘the performance of the series’ last Saturday. James closed the show and received the only standing ovation of the night from Barlow, Scherzinger and fellow judges Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh.
Earlier in the evening, the blonde-haired heartthrob sang One Love by U2 in an ode to his four siblings, Sian, Jasmin, Charlotte and Neve. His mother, Shirley, 45, added: “He’s been writing songs furiously - sometimes he’ll have three songs written by breakfast.”
The X Factor is originally a British television music competition to find new singing talent, contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. Created by Simon Cowell, the show began in September 2004 and has since aired annually. It is presently in its ninth series and has a US spin-off aired on OSN.
Winners, who have included international hit maker Leona Lewis, receive a recording contract with a stated value of £1 million. This includes a cash payment to the winner, but the majority is allocated to marketing and recording costs.
James will be up against Jahmene Douglas, 21, and Christopher Maloney, 34, on Saturday and the winner will be announced on Sunday.
