Joe Stilgoe

Growing up as the youngest of 5 children he was surrounded by music, with two parents in the business – songwriter and TV personality Richard Stilgoe and opera singer Annabel Hunt. Over the course of his varied career he has become a true modern-day entertainer, known globally as a performer of wit, style and a level of musicianship which has seen him recognised as one of the best singer-pianists in the world. Always searching for a new way of bringing not only his own songs but those he loves from the past to a new audience, he is an enticing mix of his heroes Danny Kaye, Nat King Cole and Dudley Moore, and influenced by Harry Connick Jr, Peter Skellern, Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, The Beach Boys, Oscar Peterson, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and Joni Mitchell.

His latest album, Stilgoe In The Shed, which topped the UK Jazz Chart, came about after Joe started broadcasting on Youtube from his shed at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The resulting show ‘Stilgoe In The Shed’ picked up over 200,000 viewers around the world, and led to this unique album, praised in the UK press and featured on both BBC and ITV news.

He hosts annual shows featuring illustrious names from the worlds of theatre, comedy and jazz at Crazy Coqs- Joe Stilgoe and Friends, and his Christmas specials at the Lyric Hammersmith are now an institution at the theatre. He made his Royal Albert Hall debut as a special guest with Guy Barker’s Big Band in 2017 and was the featured guest artist for their legendary Christmas shows in 2019. He has created award-winning shows for the London Jazz Festival including A Tribute To Gene Kelly at LSO St Lukes, Songs On Film at Cadogan Hall (plus three sold out Edinburgh Festival seasons and UK tour), and last year Joe Stilgoe & His Big Band at St Johns Smith Square. He has performed with orchestras and bands including The John Wilson Orchestra, RPO, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Big Band, RTE, Lahti Symphony, RLPO and many more.

A hugely sought-after performer for society parties, corporate events and charity fundraisers, he was asked to perform for The Queen and Duke Of Edinburgh’s 70th wedding anniversary at Windsor, and has given private performances for Prince Charles at St James Palace, the Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor, the Duchess of Cornwall at The Ritz in London and Prince Edward at Frogmore House, among many others. He has recently begun an association with The Science Museum, where last year he was the first jazz musician to be invited to give a talk on the science of music with Dr Philip Ball as part of their LATES season. He is also an ambassador for The Old Vic, Children & The Arts,The Orpheus Centre and Chestnut Tree House.

He works extensively on radio, having hosted and starred many times in BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night, while also being a regular presence on the station (Joe Stilgoe – Christmas At The Movies, Jingle Bell Joe, One Night Stand at Ronnie Scotts), and being a regular guest and presenter on JazzFM, Radio 3 and 4.

On stage: High Society at The Old Vic, Guys And Dolls at The Albert Hall, Olivier Awards at Royal Opera House. As composer and lyricist: The Jungle Book (UK tour), The Midnight Gang (Chichester Festival Theatre), ZOG (UK tour), ZOG & The Flying Doctors (Rose Theatre, UK tour), A Greener Garden (Chichester).

On TV, he has appeared most notably hosting BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year, and least notably in Bargain Hunt.