Alex Washington

Alex Washington (born November 27, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, model, and actor. He is known for his volatile personal relationships, controversial antics, and endless tabloid coverage. Rising to fame in America in 2004, Washington moved to the UK in 2006, and continued his highly-successful music career from London. After three albums, Washington stepped back from the spotlight for ten years, before returning to music in 2021. He is also known as a successful actor, starring in the CW series King Me in 2009, before his erratic behaviour and increased dependency on drugs led to his firing from the series after one season. In 2021, Washington returned to acting, taking on a short-term role on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives.

Early Life
An only child, Washington grew up in the suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania known as Llanview. A musically bright but troubled child, Washington's parents abandoned him at an early age on the doorstep of local businesswoman and disgraced physician Dr. Dorian Lord Calliston Santi Vickers Hayes Laurence Cramer, who raised the young boy before boring of him and sending him to boarding school in 1991.

Upon his return to Llanview in 1995, Washington's musical talents began to shine through. His career was nearly cut short in 2000, when the youngster was to perform at a charity ball supporting the local hospital. A jealous classmate, Starr Manning, attempted to replace the young singer's glass of water with acid. Luckily, the girl's plan was thwarted before Washington could take a sip. After this debacle, Washington made the painful decision to leave Llanview behind for greener pastures, and departed for Los Angeles, where his professional musical career would begin.

2001-05: Career beginnings, Discotheque and Pop Tart
Washington moved in with adopted sister Cassie Callison in Los Angeles, and attempted to pursue a singing career in 2001. However, Washington struggled in Hollywood. His tender age (only 14 at the time), created great problems for the young singer, and many performance opportunities were unavailable to him as he wasn't permitted into many clubs to perform. Upon finally getting some exposure, the singer met with bosses at record label ABS to discuss a possible deal, which was finalized in June 2003.

Washington's first single release was "Disco", released in October 2004, and performed well at #2 in the American charts, as did the single's follow-up "Boys/Girls", a duet with fledgling pop singer Leanne - reaching #3. However, once the time came to release the accompanying album, several difficulties arose. An increasing apathy towards the promotion of his music caused Washington to cancel several promotional appearances for his third single, a cover of Kylie Minogue's "On A Night Like This". Eventually, word came that was Washington had been kidnapped, along with several other celebrities. The press attention grew into resentment after Washington's subsequent release without harm, leading to rumours the mass kidnapping had been a hoax designed to drum up publicity for the artists involved. As a result, the single went no higher than #7, and the album Discotheque, debuted at #6 before quickly falling down the chart and barely reaching Gold certification.

In the Spring of 2005, CBS Television asked Washington to take part in their first Celebrity Big Brother, featuring only music stars. The event was a mediocre ratings event at first, but once boredom set in within the house, alcohol consumption began to increase. At the end of one episode, singer Sam, whom Washington had been eyeing since entering the house (despite Washington being romantically involved to boyband member Michael Collock), and a female contestant disappeared into a bedroom. Once the cameras stopped rolling for the night, Washington and Hannah Bojwolb, member of popular girl group Rapture, drunkenly had sex in the living room in an attempt to catch the attention of the couple in the bedroom. While their attempt at attention failed, the pair ended up conceiving a child, Bapette Washington, born in December 2005.

However, despite the media circus surrounding the latter portion of the series run and greatly increased ratings for the series, this did not translate into bigger sales for Washington, as the album's fourth single "Fly" only reached #11, and all subsequent single releases were quickly axed.

Washington's dramatics began to head into overdrive when his second album was to be released in late 2005. Following his run in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Washington returned to a relatively quiet time with then-boyfriend Michael Collock. This was short-lived once Washington's Big Brother exploits were brought to light in the press once baby Bapette was born, and Hannah Bojwolb named Washington as the father. Shocked by the secret Washington had kept from him regarding the child, Collock abruptly left Washington despite their having an open relationship. Washington reportedly grew increasingly depressed, and gained yet more notoriety for his party-boy lifestyle, drink, drugs, and all. This quickly changed the tone of his recordings for his second album, entitled Pop Tart.

In early November 2005, Washington's drug habit spun out of control, and Washington collapsed of an overdose in the early hours of the morning of November 27, while celebrating his birthday in a New York City nightclub. The singer eventually recovered, and despite the negative publicity from the incident, Washington scored a massive hit with the album's lead single, a cover of Marvin Gaye's 1977 single "Anger", a vengeful record aimed squarely at Collock. The single was at #1 for 3 weeks and the subsequent album release saw Washington collect his first #1 album, selling over 600,000 copies in its first week in stores.

Subsequent single releases were cancelled however as Washington took time to recover from his overdose. Second single "Tonight, Tonight" was to be released in February 2006 and saw minimal radio airplay but was quickly withdrawn from play upon announcement of the single's cancellation. Sales for Pop Tart have topped 2 Million units in the US despite the lack of single releases. Despite this, the album has never been issued outside the North American market.

2006-08: Move to London, and Famous, Rich & Beautiful
In the spring of 2006, following Washington's recovery, Washington left America behind him and ventured onto the UK. Upon his arrival in London, Washington immediately struck a chord with the press. Washington's acid tongue, sexual nature, and sharp sense of style were immediately impressive to the UK public. Despite none of his previous singles making any waves in the UK, his first single on new label Soho, entitled "Diva", debuted at #2 in April 2006. In this period, Washington struck up a very sexual friendship and eventually romantic relationship with teen R&B star Paulo Araujo. Much was made of Paulo's age at the time (at the time the couple first met, Araujo was only 16). Nonetheless, the couple became media darlings with their wild antics and crazed partying. This exposure helped Washington's career immensely, as his follow-up single, the Tiga-produced "Brothers", raced up to #1 and stayed there for 2 weeks. In addition, Washington's first UK album Famous, Rich & Beautiful, debuted at #3, rising to #2 for the next 2 weeks, eventually going Platinum.

After Washington's third album Famous, Rich & Beautiful debuted at #3 in the summer of 2006, a third single "Body Heat (All Night)" was planned, but quickly cancelled after Washington abruptly split with Araujo and left for New York and Milan to focus on his burgeoning modelling career. After a successful run as the face of Fendi for 2006, Washington returned in 2007, reunited with Araujo and released the third and final single from Famous, Rich & Beautiful, the Spring 2007 release "Eclipse". Though their relationship remained strained through this period, Washington remained committed to Araujo, until leaving once again for America to pursue further modelling opportunities and acting opportunities.

A planned follow-up album to Famous, Rich & Beautiful was planned, tentatively titled Technopornographic, but the idea was quickly shelved after label execs vetoed its release, as well as the release of what was later described by Washington as a 'lacklustre' first single "Trial Separation".

Throughout the next year, Washington's drug and alcohol abuse worsened immensely, leading him to lose many modelling contracts as well as have several acting projects cancelled due to his erratic and sometimes violent behaviour. Then on 28 August 2008, Washington overdosed backstage at a Fall/Winter Preview show for Fendi and was rushed to hospital. After release, he was immediately sent to Betty Ford Clinic at the urging of his management, and spent the next three months recuperating before finally leaving, clean and sober, and ready to return to his first love, music.

2009-10: Redux, King Me, Circa
Washington didn't take too long finding songs for his second UK album Redux. The singer's absence from the scene presented him with many opportunities to find and write material, and with the added help of contributions not only from longtime friend Sophie Ramone, and newcomer superstar duo Indigo Peak, a collection of Grade-A material was brought together.

However, Washington's return to Britain was marked with a few sour notes initially. Many reports noted that he returned to his countryside home outside of London to find his longtime partner Paulo Araujo had moved out and now had a child with equally larger-than-life popstar BRAXTON. In addition, Washington's record label, Soho, had been absorbed into Ensemble Records. After negotiating a contract reprisal, Ensemble allowed Washington to release his album on two conditions: that his first single from Redux, entitled "Brand New Me" charted Top 10; and that he get a haircut. The results of the haircut were widely touted by the media, and Brand New Me debuted at #3 the week of 15 February, 2009.

In addition to his own album, Washington had also written and produced tracks for numerous other acts, including his album's second single, his Tango Challenge duet with ex-boyfriend Paulo Araujo, entitled "Sort It Out (Part 3)", which made #4 in the UK charts.

Midway through promoting his album, Redux, Washington announced his appearance in a new TV series, entitled King Me to begin airing on the CW Network in America, as well as the BBC in the UK. It would be Washington's first major acting role. With many celebrity cameos, including first episode cameos from fellow popstars Jack Stevens and Emily Henning, the show was given major publicity for its debut May 4, 2009.

On May 4, 2009, the first episode aired on the CW Network, pulling in a 3.9/7 rating, making it the highest-rated show on the CW in nearly 2 years. The network is set to keep the show on their schedules throughout the summer and are expected to pick up the show for the fall season as well. However, Washington's character was killed in a coup on the summer season's finale after he altered his look. Washington was to due the show's producers but the lawsuit was thrown out of court.

Washington's third single from Redux, entitled "Bust The Beat", released the same week as the premiere of King Me, was written and co-produced by Indigo Peak, and debuted at #4, continuing Washington's streak of hits from the album. However, tensions between Washington and Indigo Peak's Cassenove brothers quickly grew tense after Yannik Cassenove, recently named CEO of Ensemble Records, began to overhaul the label.

Quickly losing money, Cassenove sought to recoup losses incurred by underperforming artists, and Washington, who had failed to recoup his large advances which had been grandfathered in from his contract with Soho Records in 2006, was in his crosshairs. Cassenove had administrators declare Washington bankrupt the same week as the release of "Bust The Beat". All of Washington's cash reserves were seized, and the singer was escorted from Ensemble HQ after threatening to pin Cassenove to the wall of his office using a stapler and push pins during an altercation.

Washington was subsequently dropped from Ensemble Records after a final single, "The Passive Reflux EP", was released from Redux in July 2009, becoming Washington's third consecutive #4 single. Washington's fifth album, Circa, was released October 19, 2009 via his newest label Wired Records. The move was finalized that summer, and material was quickly assembled for the new album, with help from fellow stars like China, and 4Tune. Circa marked a new direction for Washington, taking on an 80s post-disco sound, the album spawned three major hit singles, "1234", "Flash", and the China-penned "Pretty Lies".

During the campaign, Washington's escalating feud with Morris David Cat grew increasingly violent, and culminated with a bomb being placed backstage at one of Cat's shows. Though Washington was long-rumoured to be behind the attack, charges were not immediately filed against him. However, in the spring of 2010, Washington fled for Zimbabwe to avoid prosecution for the crime, as Zimbabwe did not have an extradition treaty with the UK, only returning when members of pop-rock band The Warning were found guilty of the crime in Late 2011.

2011-21: Washington steps out of the spotlight, Optimism & Comeback
Upon Washington's return to the UK in late 2011, he set about work on his next studio album, slated for release in early 2012. Now pursuing a more modern EDM sound, the first single from the album, "Here We Go Again", was a smash hit, becoming Washington's first #1 single in the UK since 2006. However, following the release of the single, Washington sunk into a deep depression, and, unable to continue writing, disappeared into his home outside Manchester. His reclusion led to his being dropped from Wired Records in 2012.

Washington briefly returned in 2014 to promote a new single, entitled "Back In Time", which managed to hit #30 at radio, but Washington, overwhelmed by the demands of promotion, and now suffering increasingly from agoraphobia after years in voluntary exile, backed out of promotion, cancelling the single.

After a seven year absence, Washington finally returned to the music scene in 2021. Now sober, and having come through extensive therapy for his depression and agoraphobia, Washington credited his return to his friend Loretta Lambert's constant reassurance and guidance, as she staged her own highly-successful comeback the same year. Washington premiered his first new single in ten years, "The Comeback", in early 2021, signing with upstart record label Apathetic Records, owned by major vinyl record manufacturer Monowindow Music.

Washington immediately hit the tabloids, once again at odds with ex-boyfriend Paulo Araujo and his husband, Raphael Monaghan. Washington raised their ire this time after seemingly abandoning his now-teenage daughter Bapette in the UK to sneak away to the US to nab a role of the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. Bapette responded to Washington's abrupt departure by filing to be emancipated from her father, choosing instead to move in with Araujo and Monaghan, and to change her first name to the far-less-awkward Bette, intending to start her own music career.

Throughout all the drama, Washington managed to stage a highly-successful comeback, seeing "The Comeback" hit #3 in the UK, and the parent album, Optimism, reaching #1, and eventually selling nearly 2,000,000 copies in the UK alone, becoming far and away Washington's most successful album. The album was to be promoted with an extensive world tour, entitled I Would Rather Set Myself On Fire Than...Tour, with daughter Bette as support act. Concerns about safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic saw the tour cancelled, with Washington instead planning to do a one-off show at London's O₂ Academy Brixton in December 2021. The concert was a rousing success, though a planned live album to follow the concert in time for the busy Christmas shopping season was aborted.

2022: Mourning & Other Pleasantries, and Média Controle 1982
During the promotional works for Optimism, Washington embarked on a whirlwind romance with American actor Will Taylor. As the relationship progressed, Washington's daughter Bette became increasingly concerned regarding the intensity of the relationship, and hired a private investigator to look into Taylor in late 2021. Washington was initially furious with his daughter for the intrusion, but the two reconciled over the Christmas holiday.

Once Washington returned to the spotlight in January 2022, the optimism of his previous album had all but disappeared, with new EP Mourning & Other Pleasantries and single "Losing" being a far more sombre affair. Taking on influences from piano balladry and early 2000s R&B, Washington further evolved his musical style into a more mature, self-reflective record, which was meant to detail the "eight stages of heartbreak", modelled after the "seven stages of grief". The EP was a massive hit, spending four non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the UK, and selling over 1,000,000 copies in the first six months of 2022.

Washington's romance with Will Taylor culminated in a highly-publicized wedding in London, to be attended by a who's who of pop music's biggest stars, but the wedding was stopped when Washington revealed to all that Taylor had been conspiring with Washington's adoptive mother, Dr. Dorian Lord, to bilk the star out of millions. The resulting media circus led Washington to once again become something of a recluse, hiding away in his London penthouse. The tone of the Mourning & Other Pleasantries EP was later explained by Washington as being fueled by his heartbreak and rage over Taylor's deception, as well as having been an amalgam of ideas he had begun working on for his aborted 2014 comeback.

With Mourning... a certified smash, netting Washington an additional two #1 singles in the process, Washington returned to work on his seventh full studio album. Through cryptic promotional billboards and video ads on television and online, featuring quotes from the likes of Jean-Michael Basquiat, and Langston Hughes, Washington launched the album, entitled Média Controle 1982, on June 3, 2022. The album took on a highly-political and relatively hard-edged sound, taking on influences from electro-pop, R&B, and alternative rock, and centered around the concept of an anachronistic AI teletext device entitled "Média Controle", which took over the world's televisions, re-educating the world's populace to undo the damage of 40 years of neo-conservatism before the world descends into ruin.

The initial campaign for first single, "American Revolution", culminated in far-right wing television news outlets around the world being pre-empted by a real-life Média Controle, which broadcast the premiere of the high-budget music video for "American Revolution", before calling for various right-wing figures to be exiled. The campaign is rumoured to be spearheaded by Washington himself, but evidence has been hard to come across to back this up.

The album and single were highly successful, with "American Revolution" becoming Washington's third consecutive #1 hit in the UK, and sixth overall. The album debuted at #1 as well, with the highest first-week album sales of any release in 2022 to that date. Sales remained brisk through 2022, even as Apathetic Records halted promotion on the album after an arrest warrant was placed on Washington for inciting a riot following his controversial free concert in Hyde Park.

2023-present: Return to UK, and The Urban Sophisticate
Upon his return to the UK following charges against him being dropped, Washington returned to release his sixth full studio album, titled The Urban Sophisticate. Patching up his relationship with Apathetic Records, the album was a far lighter affair than his previous album, with production handled mainly by La'Shawn. The album saw Washington return to club-friendly R&B and pop, with songs dealing with sexuality, mental illness, and the fallout of his relationship with Will Taylor.

The album was extremely well-received by critics and audiences, alike. First week sales totaled nearly 170,000 copies, a career high for Washington.

Discography
Since 2006, Alex Washington has released six albums in the UK, and one EP.

Studio albums

 * Famous, Rich & Beautiful (2006)
 * Redux (2009)
 * Circa (2009)
 * Optimism (2021)
 * Média Controle 1982 (2022)
 * The Urban Sophisticate (2023)

Extended Plays

 * Mourning & Other Pleasantries (2022)