Dan Gillespie Sells

Daniel Giles Gillespie Sells (/ɡɪˈlɛspi/ ghil-ESP-ee; born 20 September 1978) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist and frontman for the rock group The Feeling.

For the mathematical chemist, see Dan Gillespie.

Dan Gillespie Sells
Sells with The Feeling in 2005
Sells with The Feeling in 2005
Background information
Birth nameDaniel Giles Gillespie Sells
Born (1978-09-20) 20 September 1978
OriginLondon, England
GenresRock, pop, musical theatre
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1995–present
Member ofThe Feeling

Biography

Sells and his brother James were co-parented, being brought up dividing their time between their father's house and their mother's house after their parents split when he was three years old. His mother is disability rights campaigner Katherine Gillespie Sells, and his father is Keith Sells. He was also parented by his mother's former partner Dilis, whom he refers to as his other mother.[1] Sells attended Osidge Primary School and The Ashmole School in London along with fellow students Amy Winehouse and Rachel Stevens (S Club 7).[2]

In early 2007, Sells was seen in an advertising campaign for the Autograph range at Marks and Spencer. He says he took part partly because his grandmother liked M&S, and would like to see him advertising it.[3]

In addition to his work with The Feeling, he co-wrote songs for Sophie Ellis-Bextor's third solo album, Trip the Light Fantastic. The two songs he co-wrote appear on the track-listing as, "Only One" and "Love Is Here". Both tracks also feature his vocals, and "Love Is Here" includes his bandmate Richard Jones, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's husband, on bass guitar. Ellis-Bextor features on The Feeling's album, Together We Were Made, in song "Leave Me Out of It".

Sells co-wrote and co-performed (both with Ian Masterson) the theme tune to the 2008 BBC comedy drama series Beautiful People, an adaptation of the memoirs of Simon Doonan. In addition, Sells also contributed another original track, entitled "Beautiful People", as well as a 2006 cover version of Hall & Oates's "She's Gone" with his The Feeling bandmates. All three tracks appeared on the Beautiful People soundtrack album released in October 2008.

In 2014, he began to collaborate with choreographer Javier de Frutos on a ballet piece entitled '3 With D' which featured The Royal Ballet's principal dancer Edward Watson and premiered at The London Coliseum.

In 2017, Sells composed the music for the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. The show opened at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in February 2017 and transferred to the West End at the Apollo Theatre in November. The soundtrack was released as an album in the same year, and features vocals by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Betty Boo, and Josie Walker.

Influences

Sells has stated that Karen Carpenter was "one of the greatest vocal technicians ever". He also cites Freddie Mercury and Neil Young as influences.[4]

Personal life

Sells is gay, and won two Stonewall Awards for Entertainer of the Year in 2007 and Entertainer of the Decade in 2015. Sells featured on the cover of an issue of Attitude magazine in 2008, being the first cover shoot Sells had done and was later on the front cover again on the September 2008 issue, alongside Alan Carr, Markus Feehily of Westlife and Sir Ian McKellen. In 2012, Sells wrote about his coming-out experience.[5]

In 2014, Sells criticised gay celebrities who were not publicly out, saying that "their refusal to open up about their personal lives" makes them 'part of the problem' of sexual inequality in society.[6]

References
  1. "The Way We Live". The Times. Retrieved 30 October 2011.(subscription required)
  2. Anthony Webb (19 June 2016). "Osidge celebrates its 80th anniversary". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  3. "Autograph at Marks and Spencer". Archived from the original on 21 July 2006. Retrieved 18 March 2007.
  4. "The Feeling interview". Sing365.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  5. Dan G Sells on Coming Out, I don't know why I struggled with it for so long. Other people in much tougher circumstances came out much earlier than I. I guess we all get held back for different reasons (I think for me it was school) but as long as we get there in the end we can all be happy.
  6. "The Feeling singer Dan Gillespie-Sells labels in-the-closet gay". The Independent. 7 March 2014.
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