James Arthur , born March 2, 1988 in Middlesbrough, England, is an artist and British singer who won the 9th season of the British telehandler The X Factor on December 9, 2012.
James Arthur was born in Middlesbrough, Teesside, England to an English mother, Shirley Ashworth and a Scottish father, Neil Arthur. James' father was a delivery driver, but was also a DJ and drummer for many years. James's parents split when he was two and each moved in with a new partner. Neil and Shirley had not been on good terms for over twenty years. But they agreed to attend the hearing of their son as a family reunion.
James first went to Ings Farm Primary School in Redcar, North Yorkshire. When he was nine, he moved with his mother and stepfather Ronald Rafferty to Bahrain, where he went to the local British school for four years. When they separate, 14-year-old James returns to the UK with his mother and two half-sisters Jasmin and Neve, and lives in a modest house in Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Upon his return, he continued his studies at Rye Hills School in Redcar.
James has five brothers and sisters, an older brother named Neil Arthur, an older sister named Sian Arthur, and three younger sisters, Charlotte Arthur, Jasmin and Neve Rafferty.
