Oldest solo artist to sign their first recording contract

The oldest solo artist to sign their first recording contract was 89 years 116 days old, and was achieved by Colin Thackery (UK, b. 9 March 1930) when he signed his first recording deal with Decca Records/Syco Entertainment on the roof of Decca’s London headquarters in the UK, on 3 July 2019.

The singing octogenarian released his first album, Love Changes Everything, on 6 December 2019, and it debuted at its peak position of No.13 on the UK's Official Albums Chart on 19 December 2019. Other “golden oldie” musicians making headlines in recent years include “forces’ sweetheart” Dame Vera Lynn (see below), the UK’s St John’s House Choir (the oldest choir), Japan’s Golden Senior Trio (the oldest band), Fred Stobaugh (the oldest US Hot 100 entrant) and Jim Radford, who, at the age of 90, took “The Shores of Normandy” into the UK singles chart – after topping the iTunes and Amazon Music charts on 6 June 2019 – to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

Colin’s renditions of “Wind Beneath My Wings”, “We’ll Meet Again” (made famous by fellow Decca Records artist Dame Vera Lynn) and “Love Changes Everything” on Britain’s Got Talent brought him to the public’s attention and he won the final of the TV talent show with a 25.3% share of the vote to walk away with the £250,000 first prize and an opportunity to sing for Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, at the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium on 18 November 2019.

Colin has resided at the Royal Hospital Chelsea (RHC) since the death of his wife, Joan, in 2016. The Chelsea Pensioner, who wore his distinctive red uniform and war medals to the rooftop contract-signing session, was born the year after Decca was established (1929). It has been reported that Colin regularly serenades residents at the RHC.

Colin’s debut album, featuring the songs he performed on Britain’s Got Talent, was released to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II at the start of September 1939. If the album had reached No.1 in the UK, he would have comfortably beaten Bob Dylan’s record – 73 years 266 days – for the oldest UK chart-topper (male). The female (and absolute) record is held by his new label-mate, Dame Vera Lynn, who was 92 years 183 days old when The Very Best of Vera Lynn – We’ll Meet Again went to No.1 on the Official Albums Chart on 19 September 2009.