Michael Ball (born Michael Ashley Ball, on 27 June 1962 in Bromsgrove, England) is a British actor and singer, best known for musical theatre roles such as Marius in Les Misérables, Alex in Aspects of Love, and Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Although born in England, Michael Ball is half Welsh, and says jokingly that he considers himself "Wenglish" and proud to be British [1]. He studied Drama at the Guildford School of Acting and graduated in 1984. His first major break was a star part in the production of The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera House, Manchester. Next came a brief stint in Rep. Cameron Mackintosh saw him and cast him as Marius in Les Misérables. Next came Raoul in the second casting of Phantom of the Opera, and Alex in Aspects of Love, both in London and on Broadway, and Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim's London production of Passion. Alone Together was Michael's one man show first performed at The Donmar Warehouse (which was reprised in 2004 for the Singular Sensations season at the Haymarket). In 2002 Michael took on the role of Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which was largely considered his comeback role. In 2005, at 10 days' notice, he replaced Michael Crawford, who had to leave the show due to ill health, as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, and gave a popular and critically-acclaimed performance.
Other performances include singing at the BBC's St David's Day concert, at the Les Misérables Tenth Anniversary Concert in 1995, and the fiftieth birthday party of Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1998. He is a dramatic baritone known for his range, expression and power.
Michael is an accomplished concert artist and tours frequently around the UK. He has also performed concerts in Australia and America. Since reaching the top of the British charts with "Love Changes Everything" (from Aspects of Love) Michael had small successes with follow up singles but in the main he has concentrated on releasing albums, all of which achieved Gold status within weeks, and in the case of The Movies album in 1998, Platinium in 7 weeks{was released Oct 26th confirmed Platinium status in interview on 12 Dec}. Michael represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992, singing the song "One Step Out of Time", which finished second.
Michael has also turned his hand to presenting both on TV and radio and has presented The National lottery, Children in Need and This Morning, and had his own series on TV and radio (Ball over Broadway on BBC Radio 2) (which is in its fourth season), The Greenroom, and several specials for BBC Radio 2 on subjects such as Nat King Cole, Cameron Mackintosh, and Cy Coleman.
In September 2005, Michael made his NYC Opera debut as Reginald Bunthorne in Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience with the New York City Opera.
In October 2005 Michael released his latest album "Music". The album went into the UK charts at number 11, and spent 10 weeks in the top 75. The album finished the year the 99th best selling album of 2005.
In November, 2005, Michael returned to Broadway as Count Fosco in The Woman in White, which transferred from London's West End. However, he was forced to leave the show due to a reported viral infection caused by the fat suit required for the role, which reportedly raised Ball's body temperature by several degrees during the show. The suit is also thought to have been the cause of Michael Crawford's premature departure from the show in London. The show closed early, in part due to the health problems of Ball and leading lady Maria Friedman.
Michael spent the first quarter of 2006 on complete vocal rest, following the illness that caused him the leave Woman In White on Broadway. By the middle of July, Michael had taken part in the Royals Court's celebratory performance of The Rocky Horror Show, recorded a new album (called "One Voice", due for release on 30 October 2006) and made a guest appearance on Julian Lloyd Webber's album "Unexpected song". Then came the summer concerts at Aberdeen, Bath, Southport, Oakley Hall and Cardiff. In August, Michael sat in for Michael Parkinson on his Radio 2 show. He was interviewed for Radio 3's "Stage and Screen" programme, and recorded a tribute to Anthony Newley at Hackney Empire, also for Radio 2. Michael then took part in 'Proms in the Park' in Singleton Park, Swansea. He sang two tracks from his forthcoming album, 'One Voice'; the title song and 'Hero'. Michael also sung show stoppers, 'This is the Moment', 'Anthem' and 'Love Changes Everything'. In November, Michael will be releasing a new DVD containing all the best songs from his 'Live in Concert' DVDs. They will be split into five sections: Musicals, Love Songs, Personal Favourites, Party Time and Unplugged. The DVD will also include a brand new "Unplugged" session which Michael has recorded with just 4 other musicians in the studio especially for this DVD. It will be released on November 20 2006. Six days later he will join Petula Clark in concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London. (In 2004, he co-starred with her in a production of Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard at the Cork Opera House in the Republic of Ireland, which was later broadcast by the BBC. Michael has lots of promotional activities coming up at the end of the year with the release of his new album 'One Voice'.
It has been announced that Ball will be taking the lead role in Kismet in June/July 2007 for the ENOdetails can be found on the English National Opera website.There will also be a tour but exact dates are not known yet{Michael confirmed this during his Stage and screen interview}.
He is currently sitting in for Johnnie Walker on his Sunday afternoon BBC Radio 2 show.
Driving Home for Christmas
Michael Ball Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, I can't wait to see those faces
I'm driving home for Christmas, yeah
Well I'm moving down that line
And it's been so long
But I will be there
Sing this song
Driving in my car
Driving home for Christmas
It's gonna take some time
But I'll get there
Top to toe in tailbacks
Oh, I got red lights all around
Soon there'll be a freeway
Get my feet on holy ground
So I sing for you
Though you can't hear me
When I get through
Oh, and I feel you near me
Driving in my car
I'm driving home for Christmas
Driving home for Christmas
With a thousand memories
I take a look at the driver next to me
He's just the same
Just the same
Yeah
Top to toe in tailbacks
Oh, I got red lights all around
Driving home for Christmas, yeah
Get my feet on holy ground
So I sing for you
Though you can't hear me
When I get through
Oh, and feel you near me
Driving in my car
I'm driving home for Christmas
Driving home for Christmas
With a thousand memories
I take a look at the driver next to me
Oh, he's just the same
He's driving home
Yeah, driving home for Christmas
Driving home for Christmas
Michael Ball's "Driving Home For Christmas" is a classic Christmas song that captures the essence of what it feels like to be traveling back home for the holidays. The lyrics portray the excitement and anticipation of reuniting with loved ones for the holidays. The song expresses the long journey home, with the singer taking solace in singing a tune to pass the time away. As he travels, the lyrics describe how he encounters heavy traffic, but he remains optimistic as he knows he will soon be getting his feet on holy ground.
The lyrics go on to express the strong emotions felt while journeying home for Christmas. It's a time to reflect on old memories and cherish the new ones that are waiting to be made. The line "with a thousand memories" is a nod to the nostalgia that comes with the holidays.
Overall, this song is an emotional and heartfelt tribute to the beauty and excitement of the holiday season. It's a reminder of the importance of family, love, and the joy that comes with being reunited during the holidays.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm driving home for Christmas
I'm filled with excitement to finally go home and celebrate Christmas with my loved ones.
Oh, I can't wait to see those faces
I'm eagerly anticipating seeing the happy and familiar faces of my family and friends waiting for me at home.
Well I'm moving down that line
I'm driving on the busy road, trying to make my way through the traffic and reach my destination.
And it's been so long
I haven't been home in a while and I miss it dearly.
But I will be there
Despite the distance and obstacles, I'm determined to make it home for Christmas.
Sing this song
To keep myself company on this long and tedious journey,
To pass the time away
As I travel towards my destination, I sing to myself and daydream about the joyous moments to come.
Driving in my car
I'm behind the wheel of my car, the vehicle that's taking me home for Christmas.
It's gonna take some time
I know it's not going to be a quick trip, but I'm ready to endure it to arrive at the place I call home.
Top to toe in tailbacks
The cars on the road are jam-packed and moving at a snail's pace.
Oh, I got red lights all around
Traffic signals are making the journey more sluggish than it already is.
Soon there'll be a freeway
I'm optimistic that I'll soon reach a highway where I can drive faster and more freely.
Get my feet on holy ground
I can't wait to arrive at my destination and be reunited with my loved ones.
So I sing for you
Even though you can't hear me, I'm singing this song for you, my loved ones who I'm going home to for Christmas.
When I get through
Once I finally arrive at my destination,
Oh, and I feel you near me
I will feel your presence and be filled with happiness knowing that I am surrounded by family and friends who love me.
Driving home for Christmas
This whole song is an ode to me driving home for Christmas and how much it means to me and how happy it makes me feel.
With a thousand memories
I recall all the good times I've had at home during Christmas and eagerly await making new ones.
I take a look at the driver next to me
I take a moment and glance at the person driving in the car beside me, feeling a sense of camaraderie as we are both driving home for Christmas.
He's just the same
I realize that this stranger is also a human with a family and friends to go home to, just like me.
Yeah, driving home for Christmas
This line sums up the whole song, emphasizing how important it is to me and how happy I am to be driving home for Christmas.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christopher Anton Rea
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John Maguire
on Wherever You Are
This song was probably written by Graham Gouldman and Andrew Gold