A new documentary and biography about James Blunt’s life are being released, but there are still some weird incidents to be disclosed.
The You’re Beautiful singer just released his memoir Loosely Based On A Made Up Story, and his documentary One Brit Wonder will be shown in theatres across the UK and Ireland.
James, 49, is now nearly as well known for his sharp, often self-deprecating wit on Twitter (X) as he is for his blockbuster hit music, and he effortlessly doled out jokes at his own expense in a recent interview with Metro.
However, the topic shifted to a more serious tone when he was questioned about his father’s health.
Charles Blount, James’ father, received a kidney transplant in 2020, and James joyously revealed that his father is now doing ‘well’ – but there was a huge issue they had to address before the procedure.
‘The guy who donated the kidney, remarkably, has got the same name as my dad, Charles Blount.
‘He’s a distant cousin,’ James explained.
Being ‘very nervous’ that doctors would get confused about which Charles was donating the kidney and which was receiving it, James revealed: ‘When they went onto the operating table … I wrote “giver” on his forehead in marker pen, and “taker” on my dad’s, just to make sure they absolutely got the right bodies.’
The singer then spoke briefly about his strong bond with Ed Sheeran, who is James’ eldest child’s godfather.
The new video reveals that Ed’s wife Cherry Seaborn listened to James’ record Back To Bedlam while giving birth to their kid Lyra – a heartfelt gesture that James immediately insulted.
‘I’m deeply touched, but poor her, as if it’s not hard enough,’ he joked.
‘A man starting to play Blunt while you’re going through the hardest moment you’re ever going to go through – and you probably can’t reach the off button.’
And it appears that James’ penchant for insulting James Blunt has rubbed off on his children, as their voices feature in the documentary – but not their faces, as the artist want to keep them out of the spotlight – ridiculing him.
‘The camera crews are around while my family are there. That’s why, unwittingly, you suddenly hear them chirping up with bits of guidance to me,’ he said.
‘When you’ve heard something quite so direct and on-the-nose from a child, abusive towards their own father, I think [the producers] said, “Well, that’s going in.”’
With the release of You’re Beautiful in 2004, James became a national star almost quickly, and he reinforced his fame with the sorrowful Goodbye My Lover and certified bop 1973.
However, popular perception swiftly shifted, labelling the songs – and James himself – as irritating.
‘Immediately that negativity was there… it came as a surprise. Was it fun? No, it wasn’t,’ he admitted.
‘I moved to Ibiza, I went to a nightclub, and I had great fun, that’s how I dealt with it. Then you learn to put it into perspective.’
James Blunt: One Brit Wonder is in cinemas across the UK and Ireland for one night only on December 6.
