Who is he? Twenty-eight-year-old Brit singer-songwriter and producer, public school educated son of a lawyer.
What is he famous for? Having begun penning tracks at 12 years old, he was initially best known as a songwriter for other artists, picking up a Brit for co-writing Will Young’s 2004 single, Your Game. He was first noticed in his own right in 2008 when the single Come On Girl made No5 on the UK charts.
Distinguishing features? Multi-talented all-round nice guy and collaborating pal to megastars including Jennifer Lopez, Kylie and David Guetta.
Career high? Taio’s single Break Your Heart, featuring American rapper Ludacris, went to number 1 in the UK chart in September, 2009, and repeated that success in the US five months later.
Career low? Taio narrowly missed out on the chance to record the song Umbrella, which ended up selling millions and topping charts around the world for Rihanna.
Not to be confused with? Cruz Beckham, he’s only six.
He says? "In the UK, we are very class-conscious, and I'm obviously not from the ghetto. In America, they love the accent, but all they really care about is whether you are good."
Interesting fact? Jennifer Lopez’s recent hit single, I’m Into You, was penned by Taio, Lil Wayne and Norwegian duo StarGate.
l TAIO CRUZ headlines the Chester Rocks festival tomorrow. www. chester-rocks.com (01244 304610)
