*Online Music Blog*

Steve Brookstein - Remember him from the first X Factor

If you get your big break starting as a cruise ship singer, you are considered to have had humble beginnings and to have worked your way up. If, however, you have a hit record and end up singing on a cruise ship later in life, you are considered to be a ‘has been’. The cruise ship singing profession can be many things to different people. For the guests however, it is purely entertainment. If you’re lucky, it is good entertainment.

Jane McDonald

Possibly the most famous ‘typical’ cruise singer, Jane McDonald has done extremely well from her humble beginnings. From pubs to clubs, to stints on many cruise ships, Jane eventually got her big break when she agreed to partake in the docusoap ‘The Cruise’ which was watched by over 14 million viewers and made Jane a household name overnight. Over the last few years Jane has moved into television and she can currently be seen in the West End musical ‘Daddy Cool’.

Steve Brookstein

As the winner of 2004 X Factor, you would imagine Steve would have had a couple of number one hits before he began to fade into obscurity. However, Steve had just the one number one hit, which did not even go straight to the top spot. Eight months after signing his recording contract with Sony, he was ceremoniously dropped for poor sales. He attempted to set up his own music company to be able to release his self penned tracks, but none of his attempts were successful. In 2007, Steve appeared on the P & O Portsmouth to Bilbao cruise ship. He has made some small theatre performances but he has generally been quiet since 2010.

Claire Sweeney

Claire Sweeney was initially better known for her role as Lindsey Corkhill in Brookside. Once she had finished her contract, she embarked as an entertainer for P & O Cruise ships. Claire spent 4 years touring with the cruise ship, to return to television to reprieve her role in Brookside. Claire has had a stint on celebrity big brother, has an impressive theatre resume and makes the occasional guest appearance on Loose Women.

Michael Bublé

When you see the star he has become today, it is incredible to look back to see where Michael started. Initially convinced he would be a hockey player, it would be many, many years before he realised his second dream of becoming a singer. When he was 18, Michael entered a local Talent Contest which he went on to win. He was promptly disqualified for being underage. He did, however, get the attention of Bev Delich (the talent contest organiser), who spent several years representing Bublé. Bublé, ever the hard worker would work every gig he could get. This included many cruise ships over a period of seven years.

Gareth Gates

Gareth was the runner up (to Will Young), in the first series of Pop Idol in 2002. His debut single reached number one and included a double platinum selling album. Things looked very rosy for him. Gareth had 2 fantastic years with 3 number one singles (2 alone and one as a duet), before his hits started to struggle to reach the top spot. Gareth struggled as reports that he would lose his recording contract started to circulate. He has made a fantastic career in theatre, but recently has been seen entertaining on cruise ships.

Whether you start your career singing on a cruise ship or end your career singing on a cruise ship, one thing is certain. It takes some talent to sustain a career in the music industry and anybody who persists in this business needs to be truly committed to their chosen career path.

Written by Amy from Royal Caribbean Cruises