CELEBRATED singer-songwriter JP Cooper is to support international best-selling artist Gregory Porter when he headlines Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod this summer.

A two-time GRAMMY award winning jazz sensation, Gregory Porter will make a triumphant return to Llangollen on Friday, July 5 and it is announced today he will be joined by JP Cooper on the night.

Manchester-born JP Cooper has written hundreds of songs as a solo artist as well as with a wide variety of collaborators, a couple of which became global hits.

Perfect Strangers with Jonas Blue has more than two billion worldwide streams to date, and his own September Song is now closing in on one billion worldwide streams, not to mention a handful of his own songs streaming in the 100’s of millions.

North Wales Chronicle: JP CooperJP Cooper (Image: Lauren Luxembourg)

And he’s ticked all the boxes when it comes to music industry milestones. The singer-songwriter’s 2017 debut album Raised Under Grey Skies has sold more than 1.5 million copies while his 18 million monthly listeners across streaming platforms have contributed to almost six billion total streams and counting.

JP has built a successful international solo career based on a combination of pure songcraft and relentless graft and with a new album due to be released this year, Llangollen audiences can expect to experience an incredible night of live talent.

Speaking about heading to Llangollen, JP Cooper said: "I’m so so excited to have been asked to join Gregory Porter on a few of his outdoor UK performances this summer.

North Wales Chronicle: Gregory PorterGregory Porter (Image: Eric Umphery)

"My wife and I have been huge fans for a long while now so it’s an honour to be invited to perform with such an amazing artist.

“These shows are in such beautiful settings, what a way to spend a summer evening. I’m very grateful for opportunities like this. I’ll look forward to seeing you all there.”

Gregory Porter is rightly regarded as his generation's most soulful jazz singer-songwriter.

Since breaking through almost a decade ago with Liquid Spirit, Gregory has become a beloved part of the British cultural firmament.

The Californian cat-in-the-hat has played at numerous festivals, including Glastonbury, where he wowed the Pyramid Stage, and Radio 2’s Live in Hyde Park and now he heads to back to Llangollen where he previously headlined back in 2017.

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The headlining show will form part of the core week of the 2024 Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod which will also see concerts with Welsh icons Tom Jones and Katherine Jenkins.

Artistic Director at the Llangollen Eisteddfod Dave Danford said: “We’ve been looking forward to Gregory’s return to the Eisteddfod for a long time, and now we’re thrilled to be adding JP Cooper to the line-up for the same evening.

"Both artists have had success in a wide variety of genres, and this winning combination will make for a very special Friday night out in Llangollen!”