Pop vocalist Louis Tomlinson shot to stardom after appearing on the 2010 edition of The X Factor. He attended school in his hometown of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, where, by his own admission, he didn't pay that much attention academically; instead he was drawn to anything related to music and acting, leading to him take the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of Grease. His active role in Grease motivated him to audition for The X Factor in 2009, but he failed to make the cut. Undeterred, Tomlinson auditioned the following year, this time making it through the preliminary stages. Initially, he performed as a solo act, but just as he and four others -- Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik -- were set to be ejected from the solo competition, guest judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested bringing them together and allowing them to continue as One Direction in the group competition. Although One Direction came in third on the show, they went on to become one of The X Factor's biggest success stories, regularly topping charts worldwide. Outside of the band, Tomlinson gained a reputation for philanthropy, as he constantly campaigned for, and donated to, various charities. In January 2016, One Direction went on hiatus, giving the individual members time to pursue their own interests. In December of the same year, Tomlinson released his debut solo single, "Just Hold On," in collaboration with Steve Aoki.

Liam Martin
AllMusic.com