G4

A four-piece vocal group who took their name from the fact that they all attended Guildhall School of Music and Drama, G4 made a national name for themselves in the U.K. by winning the runners-up spot on the ITV television reality talent show The X-Factor in 2004. Their debut album, G4, was released in time for Mother's Day in England in 2005 and eventually sold in the neighborhood of a million copies. Members Jonathan Ansell, Matthew Stiff, Mike Christie, and Ben Thapa, in addition to releasing a best-selling live DVD with footage from a Royal Albert Hall appearance and an autobiography of the band, continued to record, and their third album, Act Three, hit store shelves in November 2006. In April 2007, it was announced that G4 would call it a day after that year's tour, citing internal tensions within the band. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide