James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount, February 221974) is an English singer-songwriter whose debut album, Back to Bedlam, and single releases — especially the number one hit "You're Beautiful" — brought him to fame in 2005. His style is a mix of pop and folk rock. Along with vocals, James Blunt performs on the piano and guitar. He is signed to Linda Perry's American label Custard Records. Blunt won two BRIT Awards and two Ivor Novello Awards, and was nominated for five Grammy Awards in 2006. Blunt subsequently released his second album, All the Lost Souls, in 2007; this album was certified gold within its first week of release.
Prior to embarking on a career in music, Blunt was an officer in the Life Guards unit of the British Army, and served as a member of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo. While posted to Kosovo, Blunt was introduced to the work of Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) (also known as Doctors without Borders), a humanitarian aid group best known for its emergency medical care in conflict-torn regions; during his musical career, Blunt has supported MSF by holding meet-and-greet auctions at many of his concerts. While Blunt has spent most of his life studying and living in England, his primary residence is now on the Spanish island of Ibiza, where he wrote many of the songs on his second album.
