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Created page with "{{Infobox person | name = Brandon October | image = Brandon October.jpg | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | background = solo_singer | birth_name = Brandon Steve October | alias = | birth_date = 1977 (age 47–48) Cape Town, South Africa | birth_place = Cape Town, South Africa | origin = | death_date = ..."

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{{Infobox person
| name = Brandon October
| image = Brandon October.jpg
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| landscape = 
| alt =
| caption =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Brandon Steve October
| alias =
| birth_date = 1977 (age 47–48)
Cape Town, South Africa
| birth_place = [[Cape Town]], South Africa
| origin =
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| genre = [[Alternative rock|Alternative]], [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Rock music|Rock]], [[Electronic music|Electronic]]
| occupation = Singer Songwriter
| instrument = Vocals & Keyboards
| years_active = 1994–present
| label = Sony BMG - BAKK Records
| associated_acts = From the Heart Singers, No Compromise
| website = http://www.brandonoctober.com
}}
'''Brandon Steve October''' (born 30 May 1977) is a [[South Africa]]n [[pop music|pop]] [[singer-songwriter]], who rose to fame after being runner-up in the first season of the reality television show ''South African Pop Idols'' in 2002.

== Early life ==
Brandon October was born in Cape Town at [[Groote Schuur Hospital]].

A third generation [[Jamaica]]n, German, and Dutch, he was surrounded by a family of singers.<ref name="bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.brandonoctober.net/biography.htm|title=Brandon October Biography|last=October|first=Brandon|date=2008–2009|publisher=Brandon October|accessdate=2009-05-25|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628025323/http://www.brandonoctober.net/biography.htm|archivedate=28 June 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> As a child, October listened to a considerable amount of [[classical music]], and one of his early influences was [[Luciano Pavarotti]].

At an early age, he performed vocal solos in church and in male quartets. Later, he sang first [[tenor]] with a [[Gospel music|gospel]] group called From The Heart Singers and spent five years with the group touring around South Africa. While living in Cape Town, October also worked as a [[Lifesaving|lifesaver]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,9294,2-1659_1168803,00.html|title=Fantastic and incredible|date=2002-04-16|work=Review of Pop Idol|publisher=News24|accessdate=2009-05-25}}{{dead link|date=May 2017}}</ref>

He then moved to [[Johannesburg]] and joined a four piece gospel group called No Compromise.<ref name="bio2">{{cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,,2-1659_1184290,00.html|title=Brandon October|date=2002-05-14|publisher=News24|accessdate=2009-05-25|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050816172730/http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0%2C%2C2-1659_1184290%2C00.html|archivedate=16 August 2005|df=dmy-all}}</ref> While singing for No Compromise, a colleague entered him in the South Africa version of ''[[Pop Idol franchise series|Pop Idol]]''.

== Career ==
Prior to his appearance on ''Pop Idol'' in 2002, October had made a career in advertising and was working in Johannesburg as an advertising company designer and art director.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,9294,2-1659_1168416,00.html|title=First 2 contestants through to top 10|date=2002-04-15|work=Review of second week of Pop Idol|publisher=News24|accessdate=2009-05-25|url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090216010059/http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0%2C9294%2C2-1659_1168416%2C00.html|archivedate=16 February 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> At the time of Pop Idol, he stated in an interview that his career ambition was to own his own advertising agency.<ref name="bio2" />

===''Pop Idol South Africa''===
October first appeared on television in 2002 as an entrant to the South African ''Pop Idol'' show. He made an impression on the judges for both his looks and his singing voice.<ref>{{cite news|url = http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,,2-1659_1165932,00.html|title = The good, the bad, the brazen|date = 8 April 2002|work = Review of first night of Pop Idol SA|publisher = News24|accessdate = 2009-05-25}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He lost in the final to [[Heinz Winckler]] by 580,000 votes (40.21% to 37.82%).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Archive/0,,2-1659_1200796,00.html|title=Brandon was so so close|date=2002-06-17|publisher=News24|accessdate=2009-05-26}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

A row over the result erupted in the South African press, with accusations of racism and vote rigging. Although the vote had been close, many commentators felt that the winner - who was white - had turned in a substantially poorer performance than the runner-up - who was black.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/entertainment/2065167.stm|title=Row over South African Pop Idol|date=25 June 2002|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref>

===Post ''Pop Idol''===
October appeared on a compilation album ''Idols: The Album''. He signed a recording contract with [[BMG Music Services|BMG Africa]], and his first album ''Temptation'' was released in October 2003. ''Temptation'' was nominated for a 2004 [[South African Music Awards|SAMA]] award in the category of Best Pop Album. Three singles from the album also achieved chart-topping status at both national and regional radio in South Africa.<ref name="TVSA">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsa.co.za/actorprofile.asp?actorID=255|title=Brandon October|work=Actor profile|publisher=TVSA|accessdate=2009-05-26}}</ref>

In 2007, October released an album titled ''Opsoek na Liefde'', and followed it with a national tour in 2008 to promote the album.

2011 saw the release of October's third studio album. This self-titled album was nominated for a SAMA award in the category of Best Pop Album.

===Television===
In 2003, October co-hosted ''Voila'', a lifestyle program on [[M-net]]. He was a guest presenter on ''Pasella'' ([[SABC3]]), and co-hosted three series of the TV show [[Supersterre]] ([[SABC2]]). October has also been one of the judges of the reality television show ''Ons Soek Die Sanger'' on [[Kyknet]]. Brandon was a field presenter on JAM, a music show on Kyknet.

== Musical style ==
October's musical influences range from the smooth sounds of Beach Boys [[Brian Wilson]] to the rock vocals of [[Freddie Mercury]], [[opera]], and classical music.

Over the last ten years he's explored with different sounds and is more heavily influenced by 90's rock; Oasis, The Verve and Radiohead.

== Discography ==
* 2004. ''Temptation'' CD
* 2006. ''Idols Christmas Album''
* 2006. ''Skouspel'' CD
* 2006. ''Skouspel'' DVD
* 2007. ''Daar Waar Liefde Staan'' CD
* 2007. ''Kaapse Jol'' CD
* 2007. ''Skouspel'' CD
* 2007. ''Skouspel'' DVD
* 2009. ''Skouspel'' CD
* 2009. ''Skouspel'' DVD
* 2010. ''Skouspel'' CD
* 2010. ''Skouspel'' DVD
* 2011. ''Brandon October'' CD
* 2012. ''Droomvrou'' CD
* 2018. ''[[Coenie de Villiers]] - Pure Coenie'' CD.
{{Portal bar|Africa|Biography|Music|Pop music|South Africa}}

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.brandonoctober.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:October, Brandon}}
[[Category:South African singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:South African male singers]]
[[Category:South African television people]]
[[Category:Reality television participants]]
{{Source Wikipedia}}

Brandon October - Revision history