Niall James. By Vanessa Valencia.

 Niall James

Niall James Horan is an Irish songwriter who first participated in the famous show The X Factor as a member of the also famous band One Direction. He got third place. Even though he didn't win, Simon Cowell made a contract for the band to sign at Syco.

Born on September 13th of 1993 in Mullingar, Ireland. His parents, Bobby Horan, and Maura Gallagher, got divorced when he was 5. He and his brother, Greg, had to live at both parents' house for a while. After moving in definitely with his mother, he studied at elementary school St Kennedy National School, and during his teen years at a catholic school.

Niall began to play the guitar after receiving it as a gift from his family one Christmas. His aunt discovered his talents one day when Niall was in her car and he began to sing. She thought that the radio was on, but she soon realized that it was his voice, and she noticed his great vocals.

He auditioned in 2010 at the Academy 2 contest, and then at The X Factor. Simon Cowell told him that he was not as good as Niall thought he was, but still Simon liked him. Even Katy Perry voted for the singer to remain in the competition.

One of the judges suggested Niall join the band called One Direction along with Harry Styles. They were sponsored by Simon Cowell. In 2011 they released their first album, Up All Night, debiting at the Billboard 200 as num. 1. In 2012 they released their second album Take Me Home, becoming the num 1 in The Uke, US, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. Their third album released in 2013 was the most sold album in the entire world. In 2014 they released their fourth album Four. After their fifth album released, Made in the AM, the band took an indefinite hiatus.  

In February 2016, he tried luck with Modest Golf, a company that he created along with Mark McDonnell and Ian Watts. The same year, it was announced that he was starting his career as a solo artist. His first album was well received by the world, winning recognition from the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2017, in an interview, Horan said that his album Flicker was inspired by the classic rock Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles. He also described that his songs would have folk tones with pop. In 2020 he released his next album. That same year, Horan told the world that he wanted to tell the stories in his head and lead the people thru the path of stories and narrations.  

His life has been a struggle ever since he was diagnosed with OCD in 2018, but he remains optimistic, and even though he is shy, his best qualities are his big smile, his generosity, and his honesty.