Watson, known as the “People’s Tenor” is credited with being the “UK’s Best Selling Classical Artist” and has sold over seven million albums. Russell will be performing his favourite music and songs from his stunning latest album ‘True Stories’ in the amazing setting of Tonbridge Castle.
Since being described by the New York Times as a performer “who sings like Pavarotti and entertains the audience like Sinatra”, he subsequently released ten studio albums, each one receiving more critical acclaim than the last, and has sold over seven million albums.
Russell held the number one spot in the USA for his debut album ‘The Voice’, making him the first British male singer to hold the accolade of a simultaneous transatlantic number one. His second studio album ‘Encore’ soon followed, it became an even greater success selling almost two million copies worldwide. During this period Russell was rewarded with various awards including four Classical Brits.
Among many special appearances, Russell performed at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games in 2002 where he sang to a worldwide audience of one billion, at Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Coronation Gala Festival 2013, the opening ceremony of the World Games, the Rugby Union World Cup and at the Nou Camp Stadium for the 1999 Champion’s League Final with Montserrat Caballé.
Other notable collaborations include Meatloaf, Lionel Richie, Paul McCartney, Lulu, Alexandra Burke, Sean Ryder and the late great Luciano Pavarotti.
His dramatic performances in stage shows have also earned him great critical acclaim, he played Parson Nathaniel in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds tour and played the lead role of Karl Oscar in Benny and Björn’s (ABBA) Kristina where the New York Times said “Watson’s ‘Puccini’ ready voice was crystal clear”. His recent collaboration with Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg meant he fulfilled a lifetime ambition to work alongside the writers of the world’s most successful musical ever, Les Miserables, where Boublil and Schonberg crafted a body of poignancy and class to his new album.
