JLS

Music career

Oritsé Williams decided to enter the music business in 2006, motivated partly by his mother's multiple sclerosis and a desire to raise funds for a cure. After being scouted for several boy bands, he felt none had the genuine connection he admired in groups like the Four Tops, so he formed his own. Through friends, he met Marvin Humes, who had prior experience in R&B, pop, and house music as a member of VS in 2004. Aston Merrygold, known for his athletic ability and performance skills and a former cast member of ITV's Fun Song Factory, joined in late 2006 or early 2007.

JB Gill, recruited for his musical ear and harmonies, completed the lineup in mid-2007. The group, initially called UFO (Unique Famous Outrageous), signed with Tracklacers and developed a sound they termed 'Jack the Lad Swing', blending the phrase 'Jack the lad' with new jack swing. They signed to Epic Records and won the Urban Music Award for Best Unsigned Act in late 2007 for a mash-up of 'Stand by Me' and 'Beautiful Girls'. They later released a second single, 'Slap Ya Elbow', and credited DJ Triz for producing and co-writing one of their early songs.

Influences

At their X Factor audition in 2008, JLS cited aspirations to emulate groups such as the Four Tops, Take That, Boyz II Men, Westlife, and Jodeci. Their broader influences include Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5, Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Take 6, Will.i.am, the Temptations, Bell Biv DeVoe, Frank Sinatra, Lionel Richie, and the Police. Individual members have named additional inspirations: Aston Merrygold lists Usher, Michael Jackson, Mario, Beyoncé, Chris Brown, and Boyz II Men; Marvin Humes cites Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Ne-Yo, Mariah Carey, Prince, Boyz II Men, Justin Timberlake, and Craig David; JB Gill names Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, and Lionel Richie.

Other ventures

JLS have appeared on numerous TV programmes for promotion and have had two dedicated specials. The first, an hour-long ITV2 documentary titled JLS Revealed, aired on 7 November 2009 and covered the year after their X Factor finish, including touring with Lemar, single releases, and the MOBO Awards. The second, an ITV entertainment show called This Is JLS, aired on 11 December 2010 before the first show of that year's X Factor final; filmed before a live studio audience, it featured performances of their hits, tracks from Outta This World, a duet with Kylie Minogue on 'All the Lovers', and hidden camera stunts for fans.

The group also released a documentary film, JLS: Eyes Wide Open 3D, the first 3D film by a British music act, filmed at The O2 Arena during their Outta This World tour in December 2010 or January 2011, with documentary footage by Ben Winston and Andy Morahan. It was shown exclusively in over 300 UK cinemas from 3 June 2011 for three days, with additional screenings the following weekend due to high demand; it opened at number 5 at the UK box office, earning £463,914 from its initial weekend.

A DVD of the film was released on 5 December 2011. A one-off Christmas special, A Very JLS Christmas, featured celebrities including Alesha Dixon. On 28 June 2013, JLS appeared on The Million Pound Drop playing for charity.

Members

Oritsé Williams, born 27 November 1986, grew up in West London and attended St Edwards School, where classmates called him Music Boy. He has two brothers and one sister. When he was 12, his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he took on the responsibility of looking after his siblings while still going to school and extracurricular activities. He later studied at the British International School in Lagos, Nigeria, where he met English-Nigerian singer L Marshall, a fellow student, and together they won his first talent show during his final year.

He also attended Larmenier Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School. From a young age, Williams wanted to be a solo artist and was approached by several boy bands, but he felt a successful group needed genuine chemistry among its members. So he formed his own band, originally called UFO, which later changed its name to JLS after discovering a British rock band already used UFO. He also wrote the song "Wow Oh Wow" for Jedward.

On 28 September 2013, he won the first season of ITV's dancing competition Stepping Out, hosted by Davina McCall, and in June 2015 he released his debut single "Waterline" featuring Pusha T.

Marvin Humes, born 18 March 1985 in Greenwich, England, is the oldest member of JLS. Before joining the band, he was part of VS, a group put together by Blue's Simon Webbe, but they disbanded shortly after releasing an album. After meeting Aston Merrygold, Humes joined UFO. He acted on BBC's Holby City for three years from 2000 to 2003, playing Robbie Waring in 14 episodes, and at age 14 he appeared on the children's show K-Club, which taught viewers about computers.

Since March 2010, Humes has been in a relationship with Rochelle Wiseman. They got engaged on 31 December 2011 and married on 27 July 2012 at Blenheim Palace. Their first daughter, Alaia-Mai, was born on 20 May 2013, and their second daughter, Valentina Raine, arrived on 10 March 2017. Humes co-hosted The Voice UK with Emma Willis from 2014 to 2016 and presented The Official Big Top 40 with Kat Shoob from 2014 to 2018. He currently hosts The Hit List on BBC One alongside his wife Rochelle.