In 2004, G4, a British vocal group, brought together four members of London's Guildhall School of Music, the classical institution from which the quartet takes its name. Comprising tenors Jonathan Ansell and Ben Thapa, baritone Mike Christie and bass Tom Lowe, the latter was quickly replaced by Matthew Stiff. To make a name for themselves, the band entered the auditions for The X Factor and made it all the way to the final, losing out to Welsh singer Rhydian. Nevertheless, G4 were signed by Sony Music and recorded a debut album of the same name, combining operatic arias and pop hits, which topped the UK charts in 2005, thanks in particular to their cover of Quuen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (No. 9). After a stadium tour, a second album was quickly put together and G4 & Friends was released later that year, featuring Sir Cliff Richard, Robin Gibb and Lesley Garrett. Rated No. 6 and certified platinum, it was followed by Act Three (2006) and a cathedral tour before the band broke up. In 2015, the band reunited without Matthew Stiff, replaced by Nick Ashby for the album G4 Christmas, followed by G4 Love Songs in 2017. In 2019, Ashby joins The King's Singers and Ben Thapa focuses on a career in opera. They are replaced respectively by Duncan Sandilands and Jai McDowall, who take part in the G4 20 (2024) album. Suffering from kidney failure, Ben Thapa died on September 8, 2024 at the age of 42.
