Born March 1, 1980, in Kent, England, Mills studied at Surrey's Academy of Contemporary Music. He later led his own rock band, Benzego, and played keyboards in a Doors cover act, the L.A. Doors. Mills was working with a marquee hire firm when he successfully auditioned for the ITV network's amateur showcase The X Factor in 2006. With a husky vocal delivery most commonly compared to Rod Stewart, he proved an audience favorite and ultimately finished in third place, landing a five-record deal with Sony BMG. Mills' debut LP, Picture of You, ascended to number three on the U.K. pop charts upon its March 2007 release. ~ Jason Ankeny