Manchester-born and bred comedian Jason Manford's first venture into singing came when he was a youngster. Coming from a musical family, Manford moved into standup after he was inspired as a teen by the likes of Johnny Vegas, Lee Evans, and Peter Kay. As a regular on the comedy circuit in the U.K., Manford eventually moved into television, with acting parts in shows such as Shameless and Ideal, and became a regular on panel shows including 8 out of 10 Cats. In 2009, Manford decided to perform on the West End stage and in 2012 earned a part as Pirelli in the London revival of Sweeney Todd, performing alongside musical veteran Michael Ball. A lead role as Leo Bloom in a touring production of Mel Brooks’ The Producers followed, and in 2016 he took on the role of Caractacus Potts in the U.K. production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In 2017, Manford entered the studio to record his debut album. The resulting A Different Stage appeared at the end of the year and saw him covering a selection of his favorite show tunes. ~ Rich Wilson