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Harry Styles
Styles on stage during One Direction's Up All Night Tour in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Harold Edward Styles
Born	(1994-02-01) 1 February 1994 (age 30) Evesham, England, UK
Genres	Pop, dance
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Vocals
Years active	2010–present
Labels	Syco, Columbia
Website	www.onedirectionmusic.com

Harold Edward "Harry" Styles (born 1 February 1994) is an English singer and member of the boy band One Direction.

Early life

Styles was born in in Evesham, Worcestershire, in 1994. He was brought up in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, and is a former pupil of Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School, a state comprehensive school. Born to mother Anne and father Des, he has an older sister, Gemma. He was seven when their parents divorced; his mother later married Robin Twist. Regarding his parents' divorce, Styles said, "That was quite a weird time. I remember crying about it. I didn't really get what was going on properly, I was just sad that my parents wouldn't be together any more." Following the divorce, Styles, his older sister and his mother moved further out into the Cheshire countryside. He said he had his first "actual girlfriend" when he was 12. At the age of 12 he moved back to Holmes Chapel. Styles said he was "really pleased" when Twist proposed to his mother.

As a child he loved singing, noting Elvis Presley and The Beatles as his influences. Styles was the lead singer for the band White Eskimo with band members lead guitarist Haydn Morris, bass guitarist Nick Clough and drummer Will Sweeny. They had once entered a local Battle of the Bands, which they won.

Music career

The X Factor

In 2010, Styles auditioned for The X Factor, singing "Isn't She Lovely". He received positive comments from two of the three judges, with Louis Walsh having doubts on whether he was ready to progress in the competition. At boot camp, he sang "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" before being rejected and put into One Direction.

Styles came up with band name One Direction, because he thought it would sound good when The X Factor announcer Peter Dickson read their name out on the live shows. Bandmate Louis Tomlinson added, "Harry texted us to ask what we thought and it was one of those where we all just said, 'Yes' straight away. We all entered the competition with one thing in mind and that was to go to the top, so it worked. And it can be abbreviated to 1D!" Styles said that The X Factor gave him a lot more confidence.

One Direction

After the final of seventh series of The X Factor member Zayn Malik said, that One Direction "would definitely continue on as a band". Styles, Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne signed a record deal with Syco Records. On being signed Styles said: On being signed Styles said: "We wanted to win and coming third was a big disappointment. So to find out we were signed was incredible. Simon Cowell was telling you your life was about to change! It was weird. Coming from our first audition to being signed by Syco is a huge journey". The band has had international fame and success, releasing their debut album Up All Night, in 2011.

Influences

As a child he loved singing, noting Elvis Presley as one of his influences. He cites the artist for his musical beginnings. "The first song I knew all the words to was Girl Of My Best Friend by Elvis. My dad introduced me to his music and when I got given a karaoke machine, I recorded a load of Elvis tracks." Styles also cites more current music by Foster the People, Coldplay and Kings of Leon. "We want to have a little bit heavier guitars, bigger drums, more of a live feel, because that’s what we like doing," Styles says for their next album, though he says that shouldn’t be misinterpreted to mean the group is going “grungier". "Because we are 18 years old, it's important that we like what we’re doing as well",: says Styles. "It wouldn’t be good if we weren’t enjoying what we’re doing, and we are." Styles says that he often looks to Coldplay front man Chris Martin for inspiration when performing on stage.

Styles also states that The Beatles had a profound influence on him growing up, his father would play their music. "I still listen to their music over and over again. "They are absolute icons and an inspiration", he says.

Personal life

Styles states that he likes being naked, citing it as "very liberating, I feel so free." Styles briefly dated English television presenter Caroline Flack, which caused widespread media controversy over their fifteen year age gap.

Styles is also good friends with English recording artist Ed Sheeran.

Filmography

Discography

References

1. "BBC - Harry Styles has got the X Factor in Holmes Chapel". BBC News. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
2. "Harry Styles: pictures, news, songs, tours". Capital FM. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
3. Belinda Ryan (29 September 2010). "Holmes Chapel X Factor star Harry Styles can win show say school bandmates". Crewe Chronicle.
4. Liz Thomas. "Beatlemania takes a whole new Direction! Thousands gather in Montreal to catch a glimpse of the band | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-03-31.
5. "One Direction: Chart stars in their own words | The Sun |Showbiz|Bizarre". The Sun. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
6. "Holmes Chapel X Factor star Harry Styles can win show say school band mates". Crewe Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
7. http://www.thehothits.com/artists/6069/one-direction/bio
8. http://www.thehothits.com/artists/6069/one-direction/bio
9. "One Direction: Chart stars in their own words". The Sun. News Group Newspapers. 16 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2012.
10. http://www.thehothits.com/artists/6069/one-direction/bio
11. "One Direction: Chart stars in their own words | The Sun |Showbiz|Bizarre". The Sun. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
12. "One Direction: X Factor boy band on what sets them apart | Arts | National Post". Arts.nationalpost.com. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
13. http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/one-direction/news/take-that/
14. http://www.metro.co.uk/music/893846-harry-styles-ronnie-wood-wanted-to-play-guitar-with-one-direction
15. "One Direction: Chart stars in their own words | The Sun |Showbiz|Bizarre". The Sun. 2011-09-16. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
16. Sarah Bull (2012-01-27). "Harry Styles and Caroline Flack split ahead of One Direction's 1st US tour and is now dating Laura Melville.| Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
17. http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/one-direction/352109-one-direction-harry-styles-ed-sheeran-bromance

Further reading

• Posy Edwards (2012), Harry Styles Annual 2013, ISBN 1409109445
• Louisa Jepson (2013), Harry Styles - Every Piece of Me, ISBN 1471128490
• Alice Montgomery (2013), Harry Styles: An Unauthorized Biography, ISBN 0718178432
• Mick O'Shea (2013), Harry Styles, ISBN 0859655121

External links

• Official website of One Direction
• Harry Styles on Twitter

• Living people
• 1994 births
• English male singers
• People from Evesham
• The X Factor (UK) contestants
• One Direction
• 21st-century English singers
• English pop singers