Raymond Arthur Quinn(born 25 August 1988) is an English actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his role as Anthony Murray inBrooksidefrom 2000 to 2003. He achieved more public recognition when he auditioned for thethird seriesofThe X Factorin 2006, finishing in second place behindLeona Lewis.
Ray Quinn | |
|---|---|
 Quinn in August 2007 | |
| Born | Raymond Arthur Quinn 25 August 1988 Gateacre,Liverpool, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse |
Emma Stephens
(m.2012;div.2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | |
Quinn won thefourth seriesofDancing on Icein 2009 and the'All Stars' seriesin 2014. On 22 February 2015, he was the winner of the first series ofGet Your Act Together.
Early life
editRaymond Arthur Quinn was born on 25 August 1988 inChildwall,Merseyside. Later he attended the Merseyside Dance and Drama College, where he had singing lessons from the age of nine. He cites his vocal coach, Suzanne Taylor, as a major influence in his career.[1]
Career
edit2000–2005: Early Career
editFrom 2000 to 2003, Quinn portrayed the victimised and tormented child Anthony Murray in theChannel 4soap operaBrookside.He performed and was credited as Raymond Quinn. Murray's featured storylines on the programme includedbullyingandmurder.
After his appearance onBrooksideended he guest starred in an episode ofMerseybeatin which he played criminal Leon Marsh. He also appeared in the episode "The Singing Cactus" for theBBCseries,The Afternoon Playas John Reilly, who grieves after his mother's death and fleesinto his own worldwith his "singingcactus".
2006:The X Factor
editQuinn rose to further prominence when he auditioned for thethird seriesofThe X Factor,singing a medley of "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"and"Devil in Disguise".Prior to appearing on the show, he was a performing arts student at the Merseyside Dance and Drama College, where he previously received some vocal training. He received three yeses from the judges, and progressed through to bootcamp. Quinn was placed in the 16-24s category, withSimon Cowellas his mentor. However, whilst singing in front of Cowell andSinitta,he partially stumbled and forgot the lyrics to "Easy"byCommodores.Initially, he was told he wasn't progressing through to judges' houses, but a change within the series format allowed him to successfully continue with the competition. He later sang "Smile"for his judges' houses performance, and afterwards was granted a place as one of the four acts through to the live shows.
During the live shows, many of Quinn's song choices and performances were old-fashioned andswing-based.Louis WalshandSharon Osbourne,in the earlier stages of the competition, queried him over his ability as a pure singer rather than a 'song-and-dance' man. However, in the later stages, he widened the range of his performances more into singingpop songs,and to which the judges were satisfied with Quinn's ability to do so. In week five, he was placed in the bottom two against Nikitta Angus, but survived elimination. He managed to progress through the competition up to week 10, where he was the series runner-up, losing to eventual winnerLeona Lewis.
| The X Factorperformances and results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode | Theme | Song | Result |
| First audition | Free choice | "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"/"Devil in Disguise" | Through to bootcamp |
| Bootcamp | Free choice | "Easy" | Through to judges' houses |
| Judges houses | Free choice | "Smile" | Through to live shows |
| Live show 1 | Motown | "Ben" | Safe |
| Live show 2 | Songs byRod Stewart | "What a Wonderful World" | Safe |
| Live show 3 | Big band | "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?" | Safe |
| Live show 4 | Songs byABBA | "Waterloo" | Safe |
| Live show 5 | Love songs | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | Bottom two |
| Live show 6 | Number ones | "Livin' la Vida Loca" | Safe |
| Live show 7 | Songs from movies | "The Way You Look Tonight" | Safe |
| "Jailhouse Rock" | |||
| Quarter-Final | Songs fromBarry Manilow;contestants choice | "Mandy" | Safe |
| "My Way" | |||
| Semi-Final | No specific theme | "Smile" | Safe |
| "You'll Never Walk Alone" | |||
| Final | Favourite performance; celebrity duets; audition songs; winner single | "My Way" | Runner-up |
| "That's Life"(duet withWestlife) | |||
| "Fly Me to the Moon" | |||
| "A Moment Like This" | |||
2007:Doing It My Way,breakthrough and label drop
editIn December 2006, two days after finishing onThe X Factor,Quinn signed a record deal with Cowell's labelSYCOto release a debutswingalbum.[2]Recording process for the album began through January 2007 at theCapitol Records TowerinLos Angeles,where he was accompanied by a 48-piece orchestra.[3]
His debut album,Doing It My Waywas released on 12 March 2007. Coincidentally, anotherX FactorfinalistBen Millsreleased his album on the same day. The album became a critical and commercial success. It entered theUK Album Chartat number one, and sold 127,000 copies in its first week of release, before being certified platinum.[4] The album also featured covers of old swing andvocal jazzclassics, some of which were recorded byFrank Sinatrahimself. Quinn made British music history as he was the youngest male solo artist and the first person to have a number one album without releasing a single.
During the summer of that year, he was a judge on theITVdance competition showBaby Ballroom,alongsideBonnie LangfordandPierre Dulaine.The programme centered on finding the best juniorballroomdancers.[5]
Quinn embarked on his own solo tour from September to November 2007, where he performed within 30 cities across the UK.[6]However, on 6 November 2007, it was announced that he had been subsequently dropped by Sony BMG.[7]
2009–2015: Television and Stage
editQuinn participated as a contestant on the fourth series ofDancing on Ice.He paired with professional skaterMaria Filippov.Throughout the series, the couple earned high scores and praise from the ice panel each week. On 22 March 2009, he and Filippov won the competition overDonal MacIntyreandJessica Taylor.
From 11 May to 28 November that year, he playedDanny Zukoin the West End production ofGreaseat Picadilly Theatre. He starred alongside his future wife Emma Stephens, who played Sandy. Quinn previously played the role of Doody during the first production of the musical in 2008. In 2011, he reprised the role of Danny for two weeks at theLiverpool Empire.Other stage acting credits that Quinn has mainly featured in include: Jack Trott inJack in the Beanstalk,the Prince inSleeping BeautyandCinderella,Warner Huntington III inLegally Blonde,and Billy Kosteki inDirty Dancing.
In December 2012, Quinn was cast as the title character in theAladdinmusical,alongside comedian and presenterDon Macleanand actorTim Flavin.He played the role at the Poole Lighthouse Theatre until 6 January 2013. He also portrayedPeter PaninPeter Panat the Liverpool Empire from December 2013 to January 2014, which also starred Stephens asWendy Darling.
Quinn later returned to participate onDancing on Ice,for thefinal and All-Star seriesof the show. He was paired withMaria Filippovagain. On 9 March 2014, he and Filippov were crowned the champions of the series, and ultimate winners of the programme. He beat outHayley TamaddonandBeth Tweddlefor the title.
He reprised his role as Aladdin again at the Liverpool Empire, from 13 December 2014 to 4 January 2015, alongsideClaire Sweeneyas the Genie andPete Priceas the Emperor.
In January 2015, he was a contestant on the celebrity talent show,Get Your Act Together.[8]His mentor was actress and impressionistDebra Stephenson,whom he learned and mastered the craft ofimpressionsfrom. Quinn was announced as the winner of the series, withJames BolamandClaire Richardsin second and third place respectively.
2015–2018:Dare to DreamandJudy: The Judy Garland Songbook
editIn September 2014, Quinn announced that he was planning to return to music, and had already started working on material for a second studio album.
He released his first single in eight years, "They Say Love" on 23 February 2015. Later that month, it was revealed that the title for the upcoming studio album would be calledDare to Dream,which was scheduled for an April 2015 release and promoted on a tour of the same name but was ultimately not released.
In May 2015, Quinn was part of the cast ofJudy: The Judy Garland Songbook,alongsideLorna LuftandLouise Dearman.The show featured never before seen clips and interviews of Garland herself, as well as live performances of her original songs.[9]
2018–2019:Hollyoaks
editOn 26 November 2018, Quinn joinedChannel 4soap operaHollyoaksas character Jonny Baxter. His character is an employee at The Bean and part of aright wingextremist group.He left the show in November 2019 when the story arc surrounding the far right came to an end.
2020-2021:Undeniableand Coronavirus pandemic
editQuinn's second album, Undeniable, was released on 28 August 2020.[10]
During theCoronavirus pandemic,Quinn revealed that he had been working as a delivery driver for courier companyHermes.[11]In April 2021, Quinn announced he had begun a new careerlaying carpetsat his family firm, alongside brothers Robin and Darren.[12]
2024:Limelight Club - P&O Cruises
editHe is currently headlining each night at the Limelight Club on P&O cruise ships with his own show.[13]
Personal life
editQuinn married actress Emma Stephens inBarbadoson 31 March 2012. The couple also announced at the time that Stephens was expecting their first child.[14][15]Their son was born in August 2012. In February 2015, the couple announced their separation.[15]In September 2022, he and his partner, Emily Ashleigh, announced the birth of their daughter; Ashleigh has a son from a previous relationship.[16]
In March 2021, Quinn spoke publicly about losing his father, also called Ray, tocancerin November 2020.[17]
Filmography
editFilm and television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2003 | Brookside | Anthony Murray | Series regular |
| 2003 | Merseybeat | Leon Marsh | One episode; "Repeated Offender" |
| 2005 | Cactus Jack | John | Short film |
| 2005 | The Afternoon Play | John Reilly | One episode; "The Singing Cactus" |
| 2006 | Bulletproof | Ben | Short film Cannes Film Festivalfeature |
| 2006 | Doctors | Owen Miller | |
| 2006 | The X Factor | Himself / Contestant | Series 3runner-up |
| 2009; 2014 | Dancing on Ice | Himself / Contestant | Series 4andseries 9winner |
| 2011 | Little Crackers | Davey | One episode; "My First Ton" |
| 2011 | Nightvision | Warren | Internet drama |
| 2015 | Get Your Act Together | Himself / Contestant | Winner |
| 2018–2019 | Hollyoaks | Jonny Baxter | Series regular |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Me and My Girl | Dancer | |
| 1998 | Peter Pan | Lost Boy | |
| 2004 | Buster | ||
| 2008 | Grease | Doody | |
| 2008; 2012; 2014–2015 | Aladdin | Aladdin | |
| 2009; 2011 | Grease | Danny Zuko | |
| 2009 | Sleeping Beauty | Prince Daniel | Pantomime |
| 2010–2011 | Dirty Dancing | Billy Kosteki | |
| 2011 | Cinderella | Prince Charming | Pantomime |
| 2012 | Legally Blonde | Warner Huntington III | |
| 2012–2013 | The Rise and Fall of Little Voice | Billy | |
| 2013–2014 | Peter Pan | Peter Pan | |
| 2015 | The Judy Garland Songbook | Singer, Dancer | |
| 2015 | Puttin on the Ritz | Singer, Dancer | |
| 2016 | Peter Pan | Singer, Dancer | |
| 2016 | Songs from the West End | Singer, Dancer | |
| 2017 | The Wedding Singer | Glen Gulia | UK Tour |
| 2018 | Summer Holiday (musical) | Don | UK Tour |
| 2018 | Dick Whittington | Singer, Dancer | Pantomime |
Ray Quinn played the title role of ‘Aladdin’ at Albert Halls, Bolton for Polka Dot Pantomimes in 2019.
Radio
edit- The Lost Boys– Narrator of book for Big Toe Radio, September 2004
- Millions– Narrator of the film for Big Toe Radio, November 2004
- The Believers– Actor playing part of James, April 2010
Discography
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | IRE | |||||||||
| Doing It My Way |
|
1 | 6 |
| ||||||
| Undeniable |
|
N/A | N/A | |||||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||
Bibliography
edit- Quinn, Ray (2015).This Time Round.London: Percy Publishing.ISBN978-0992929879.
Tours
edit- X Factor 2006Tour 2007
- Ray Quinn Solo Tour 2007
- Dancing on IceTour 2009
- Dancing on IceTour 2010
- Dancing on IceTour 2014
- Dare to DreamTour 2015
- No Mans LandTour 2016
- Dancing On IceTour 2018
Awards
edit- 2002 – Best Dramatic Performance,The British Soap Awards
- 2002 – Best Storyline, The British Soap Awards
- 2002 – Best Young Actor,Inside SoapAwards
- 2002 – Best Performance in a Network Soap, Royal TV Society
- 2005 – Manchester Talent Competition, Search for a Star – £5000 prize
- 2007 – Scouseology Award, Best Personality
- 2007 – Liverpool Local Hero Awards, Contribution to Music
References
edit- ^Haase, Jane (3 September 2007)."teachers article".Liverpool Echo.Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales.Retrieved26 October2008.
- ^"X Factor loser Ray wins record deal".Irish Examiner.18 December 2006.Retrieved18 December2006.[dead link]
- ^"X Factor's Ray heads to Sinatra studios".Digital Spy.18 December 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 13 January 2007.Retrieved18 December2006.
- ^"Quinn wins X Factor album battle".BBC. 18 March 2007.Retrieved18 March2007.
- ^"Baby Ballroom -".Archived fromthe originalon 1 February 2015.Retrieved11 April2015.
- ^"Ray Quinn announces UK tour".Digital Spy.17 February 2007.Retrieved13 March2007.
- ^The X Factor – News.Digital Spy (6 November 2007). Retrieved on 2012-04-09.
- ^"Ray Quinn set to star in new ITV show Get Your Act Together - Liverpool Echo".Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2015.Retrieved8 April2015.
- ^"Judy-JudyGarlandSongbook -".Archived fromthe originalon 12 April 2015.Retrieved11 April2015.
- ^Quinn, Ray."Ray Quinn on Twitter".Twitter.@therealRayQuinn.Retrieved10 February2020.
- ^"'Hard grafting' Ray Quinn 'takes on lockdown job as Hermes delivery driver earning £11.40 an hour'".Heart.21 September 2020.Retrieved2 March2021.
- ^Iqbal, Hamaiz (18 April 2021)."X Factor's Ray Quinn says he's 'humbled' to lay carpets on Brookside Close where career first began".Ok!.Retrieved19 April2021.
- ^"Ray Quinn issues career update from P&O cruise ship".22 March 2022.
- ^Westbrook, Caroline (9 April 2012)."Ray Quinn weds fiancée Emma Stephens as they reveal baby joy".Metro.
- ^ab"Ray Quinn and wife Emma Stephens announce their split".Hello!.21 February 2015.
- ^Lally, Kate (13 September 2022)."Ray Quinn supported by fans as he welcomes new family addition".Liverpool Echo.
- ^McCoid, Sophie (4 March 2021)."Ray Quinn heartbroken after dad dies weeks after cancer diagnosis".Liverpool Echo.Retrieved19 April2021.
External links
edit