{{Short description|Singer, actor and television presenter}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Daniel James | image = | caption = | birth_name = Colin Heywood | alias = Daniel James | birth_date = | death_date = | origin = | instrument = | genre = | occupation = | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = Yell! | website = | current_members = | past_members = }} '''Daniel James''', formally known under his birth name of '''Colin Heywood''', is a singer, actor and presenter of shows on television and radio.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://thedanieljames.com/daniel-james-tv-host/ | title=Daniel James TV Host – the Daniel James }}</ref><ref name="ukitesc">{{cite web|url=http://english.turkcebilgi.com/United+Kingdom+in+the+Eurovision+Song+Contest+1986|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131021142821/http://english.turkcebilgi.com/United+Kingdom+in+the+Eurovision+Song+Contest+1986|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 October 2013|title=United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986|publisher=English.turkcebilgi.com|accessdate=8 October 2013}}</ref>
In 1986, he competed in the BBC's ''A Song For Europe'' contest under the name Colin Heywood with "No Easy Way to Love", a song co-written by Tony Hiller, the producer known for many of the songs by Brotherhood of Man. ''A Song For Europe'' was a contest was to represent the United Kingdom in the 1986 Eurovision Song Contest,<ref name="ukitesc"/> but he came in sixth place,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://eurovisionworld.com/national/united-kingdom/a-song-for-europe-1986 | title=United Kingdom: A Song for Europe 1986 }}</ref> losing out to the band Ryder, with the song "Runner in the Night".
Under his birth name, he appeared in the 1987 horror film ''Bloody New Year''<ref name="ukitesc"/> and hosted the BBC children's programme ''But First This''<ref name="ukitesc"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ffe72754f20e4d19be95513e3e114dc6 | title=BBC Programme Index | date=August 1988 }}{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> with Sue Devaney, Siobhan Maher Kennedy and Andy Crane.After having initial success as Colin Heywood, he changed his name to his Grandfathers name and has since been legally known as "Daniel James" (legal citation is available),<ref>https://thedanieljames.com</ref> .
== Yell! == After meeting Jeff Chegwin, the brother of Keith Chegwin and Janice Long, he was placed in a pop duo with Paul Varney called Yell! and signed to Simon Cowell's Fanfare Records.<ref name="ukitesc"/> Yell! had a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom with a cover of Dan Hartman's 1978 hit, "Instant Replay" <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/25898/yell!/ | title=YELL! | website=Official Charts }}</ref> and would go on to cover the Average White Band's "Let's Go Round Again".
James later returned to his music career in the 2020s.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://retropopmagazine.com/yell-daniel-james-set-your-spirit-free/ | title=Yell! Star Daniel James returns to music with 'Set Your Spirit Free' | date=29 April 2021 }}</ref> In 2020, James released a podcast for the Stock Aitken Waterman Show, where he talked about music and being part of Yell!, his first meeting with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken and releasing ''Safety In Numbers'', as well as being signed by Simon Cowell.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1334159533749440512|user=danieljames1925|title=Fantastic news my Cheer Up Chat @CheerUpPopParty about #Chartlife @bbceurovision @TopOfThePops_ #Crackerjack…<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=2 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet|number=1332356327541256195|user=CheerUpPopParty|title=This week we have another Cheer Up Chats exclusive as we chat to @danieljames1925 who talks music, being part of Ye…<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=27 November 2020}}</ref>
== ''Bangers and Chat'' == As of 2021, James has a radio show on Mike Read's Heritage Chart Radio station<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.heritagechart.co.uk/radio-schedule | title=Radio Schedule }}</ref> called ''Bangers and Chat'',<ref>https://thedanieljames.com</ref> and has appeared on their chart show programme on Talking Pictures TV promoting various singles like "Don't Want To Lose That Girl", "Set Your Spirit Free" and his Christmas medley "Silent Night O Holy Night".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://retropopmagazine.com/yells-daniel-james-releases-festive-single-silent-night-o-holy-night/ | title=Yell!'s Daniel James releases festive single 'Silent Night O Holy Night' | date=12 December 2022 }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Heywood, Colin}} Category:20th-century English singers Category:English male film actors Category:English male singers Category:English television presenters Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people