Gareth Malone
An enthusiastic choirmaster who used television to convince a generation of Britons that anyone can, and should, find their voice in song.
Born 1975 (age 51)·English choirmaster·Birthday: November 9·Generation X
Biography
Gareth Malone turned a passion for choral singing into a quiet social revolution. With his signature cardigan and boundless enthusiasm, he stepped in front of television cameras not as a traditional maestro, but as a community organizer whose instrument was people. Through series like 'The Choir,' he entered workplaces, schools, and housing estates, confronting British reserve and assembling unlikely groups into cohesive, performing ensembles. His genius lay in demystifying music, focusing on the collective joy and confidence that singing builds rather than just the final note. This work culminated in projects like the Military Wives Choir, which scored a UK Christmas number one, proving his method had profound emotional resonance. Malone became the unlikely face of participatory music in the 21st century.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Gareth was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Gareth Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Gareth's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Founded the Military Wives Choir, whose single 'Wherever You Are' became the UK Christmas Number One in 2011.
- Awarded an OBE in 2012 for services to music.
- Created and presented multiple BAFTA-nominated television series, including 'The Choir' and 'The Choir: Unsung Town.'
- His choirs have performed at prestigious venues including the Royal Albert Hall and the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony.
Did You Know?
He is a trained bassoonist and studied at the Royal Academy of Music.
Malone is an avid board game player and has written about his love for the hobby.
He once conducted a choir of 5,000 people at the BBC's 'Big Sing' event in Trafalgar Square.
His first job was working in the promotions department at the publishing house Faber and Faber.
“Singing is the one thing you can do where you literally feel the music inside you.”
