Jamie Cullum Biography

Jamie Cullum was born in 1979 in Essex, England. After graduating from high school, Cullum attended the University of Reading, choosing film studies and literature for his academic focus. A life long love of music, jazz piano in particular, continued to influence him however, and in 1999, Jamie self-released Jamie Cullum Trio – Heard it All Before. The work sold enough copies to fund Cullum’s next effort, Pointless Nostalgic, which eventually led to a television appearance on Parkinson in 2003. The appearance resulted in a bidding war for his first contract, and Jamie signed with Universal for his major label debut.

Jamie Cullum’s first release with Universal was Twentysomething, which after its release in 2003 rose to the number one spot on the jazz charts and eventually went platinum. By the end of the year, Cullum had become the United Kingdom’s most successful jazz artist in music history, and since that time, Jamie has released three more albums: Catching Tales (2005), The Pursuit (2009), and most recently, Momentum (2013.) The albums have spawned the hit UK singles: “These Are the Days,” “Everlasting Love,” and “Mind Trick.” In the last few years, Jamie Cullum has given dozens of live performances, especially ones at music festivals, including the Glastonbury Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, South by Southwest, the Hollywood Bowl, and Coachella.  His live performances are largely improvisional, without an established set list.

Jamie Cullum has earned multiple awards for his talents, including the Rising Star Award from the British Jazz Awards, and multiple BRIT Award wins and nominations, including those for British Breakthrough Act, Best Live Act, and Best Male Artist. He has also been nominated for a Grammy Award and a Golden Globe, the latter for his work on the score for the film Gran Torino.

Jamie Cullum can still be heard during the weekly BBC broadcast of his jazz show, which has aired since 2010. He continues to write, record, and perform.