Julian Miles Holland is an English pianist, bandleader, composer, and television presenter whose career spans nearly five decades of music and media. Born on January 24, 1958, Holland first gained prominence as an original member of the rock band Squeeze, formed in 1974. He later became a recognizable fixture on British television as co-host of the Channel 4 music programme The Tube from 1982 to 1987. In 1987, Holland established Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, a 19-piece big band that has become synonymous with sophisticated contemporary R&B and swing music.
Beyond his work as a bandleader, Holland has become one of British television's most enduring music personalities. Since 1992, he has hosted Later... with Jools Holland on BBC2, establishing the show as a cultural institution for music discovery and live performance. In 1994, he added another television milestone with the creation of Jools' Annual Hootenanny, the BBC's New Year's Eve music celebration. Throughout his career, Holland has collaborated with an extraordinary array of artists including Eric Clapton, Sting, George Harrison, Amy Winehouse, and Tom Jones, among many others.
Holland's career reached a significant milestone in 2024 when his collaboration with Rod Stewart, Swing Fever, achieved his first UK number one album. A published author in addition to his musical and television work, Holland's influence extends across multiple generations of music fans, cementing his legacy as one of contemporary Britain's most versatile entertainers.
