Tyler James, star of The Voice, to play Shepherds Bush Empire in November 2012

Tyler James

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Every now and then, a TV talent search show unearths an individual with obvious star potential. Audiences saw it from the off in Will Young, Connie Fisher and the Girls Aloud girls. The Voice may have been a ratings hit but the proposed live tour of finalists has been cancelled due, notoriously, to that most unwelcome of reasons - poor ticket sales.

This lack of interest may easily translate into evidence of a waning appetite for a genre already chocked full of X Factor, BGT and any number of dance shows, but star quality shines through and Tyler James has it in spades. A friend of the late Amy Winehouse and sporting a towering quiff and a pencil moustache, James risks accusations of style-over-substance before he even opens his mouth. Thankfully, his humility and sweet white soul voice complete the package rather than derail it. And, having seen Winehouse's demise at close quarters and himself flirted with fame with an album (2005's The Unlikely Lad) and a hit single in 2002's No 25 hit Why Do I Do?, James has already learned some of celebrity's harshest lessons.

Thanks to the exposure on The Voice, The Unlikely Lad has since risen to No 6 on the UK album chart and Tyler James is making the most of this second wind with a careful promotional strategy which takes him to west London in late autumn.

Tyler James is playing the Shepherds Bush Empire on Wednesday 21st November 2012. We will have tickets available from 9am on Friday 13th July, priced just £12.

Stewart Darkin