About Matt Cardle
Matt Cardle was born in Southampton, England on 15 April, 1983. At the age of two, he was diagnosed with Wilms' tumor, in which he had to have one of his kidneys removed. Upon the operation, he recovered fully from the ailment. Before pursuing music, he had jobs as a bricklayer, a milkman and a postman, but eventually joined a band called Darwyn. The band released one album in 2006 entitled When You Wake. After a follow-up EP, Little Sunlight, the band split in 2007. Cardle formed another band called Seven Summers.
Cardle is best known for being a contestant on the British talent show, The X-Factor, during its seventh season. He ended up winning the contest with 44% of the vote, and his single "When We Collide" ascended to the top of the British Singles Charts in 2010. In 2011, Cardle signed with Syco Music, in a joint venture with Columbia Records, and his debut album Letters was released in October 2011. Despite reaching #2 on the British charts, it met with mixed reviews from the press. Critics contended that Cardle has a good voice, but the songs were “formulaic” and “forgettable.” However, it still was a huge commercial success, remaining in the Top 20 through the end of 2011, and it has sold 233,000 copies so far. Readers of The Guardian voted for Letters as album of the year, and “Starlight” as the single of the year. The single “Amazing” is set for release in February 2012.
