They're all the real Valjean. Chosen for the life, vigor and soulfulness they bring to the role. Give each of them a chance to win you over in their own ways. Long live Les Mis :-)
The greatest of the Valjeans .SO lucky to have seen him in London ---for my 50th birthday treat to myself. He stopped the show with that last long note.I' ll nvere forget it.--JDLady.
Colm is the best Val Jean. There have been some great ones after his day but seriously... This song is so much more than being technically sound. Colm truly breaks my heart with this song much more so than Alfie could (though he's an amazing performer as well). There's something magical in the flaws and breaks he brings to this song. It's not about holding the longest note and producing the best vibrato. At least to me. Love Colm! Forever.
I saw him sing this when I was seven years old when my parents took me to see Les Miserables. It has been with me ever since, and I'll never forget it.
Saw Colm's Christmas/ Broadway concert in December for some good o'l Irish folk, classic rock and his Broadway best. The man is still incredible. I was lucky to see him as a kid as the Phantom a few time and as Valjean in Toronto. The man is a true performer and entertainer. That voice live gives instant goosebumps. After seeing the new production of Phantom last night with Chris Mann, I had to watch some of Colm's clips this morning to remember how that show is supposed to be done.
omg he's so young! i got to watch him live in the play of Les Miserables, absolutly breath taking performance. This is wonderful to be able to see him this young and still singing the way i remember him (in his later years)
I was blessed enough to be able to see him in this role on Broadway in November 1987. An experience I have yet to duplicate. No one could do ValJean like Colm!!!!
I saw (listened) him sing this in a small church in Solvay NY maybe 15 years ago. Will never forget it; 25 feet from him. There were very few dry eyes in the audience. Always will be my favorite.
COLM WILKINSON IS THE BEST. He is better than any other who tried doing Valjean!! He can sing this, he can sing Jazz, he can sing blues and he can sing in the shower!!! HE IS THE AWESOMENESS OF AWESOME
Colm lived on Frankfort avenue, in Rathgar, back in the sixties. My da said he and his brothers would sit out on their windows just singing for hours. Fair play Colm.
His name is Gary Morris and he fantastic! He and Colm are my favorites by far! Whats crazy is Gary Morris is a Country Singer that you have probably heard before. He sang Wind Beneath My Wings
Colm IS Jean Valjean....Hugh is a great performer, but he doesn't hold a candle to Colm. Colm brings tears to my eyes when he sings Bring Him Home....Hugh makes me gringe. It's nice homage to Colm to have him play the Bishop, but I can't stand seeing him play any other role in Les Miz other than Jean Valjean. The Les Miz 10 Year Anniversary Concert is THE BEST cast.....I can't stand watching the Les Miz film!!! :)
Whenever I see someone else play the role of Jean Valjean, all I can think is that its just not the same as when Colm Wilkinson plays Valjean. NO ONE CAN TOP HIM!!!!! HE IS ULTIMATELY THE BEST PERIOD!!!
You want to know what a true artistic crime is? I saw this guy on Bway back in 1987. Brilliant. Why this guy couldn't have had a bigger career on Bway or touring is beyond me. Something about the corporate owned music companies dictating what gets heard, what looks good on video, whats easy to sell- not a whole lot in that mix about pure raw talent. This guy was just fantastic to see. Pity so few have actually seen him live
I am also from Germany and I got curious after reading your bitter comments about Colm not being able to sing. So, I checked your channel. You are a man, who couldn't sing if his life depended on it. You know, I really cracked up while hearing you sing "...hear my PRRRRRAAYYAAAA...." So, please, do me a favour and spare us any more of your (in Germany we would say) "Mist" and start enjoying this wonderful man's godlike voice that could even bring the coldest bastard to tears. Cheers from Germany
He is Irish and first came to notoriety when representing Ireland in the Eurovison Song Contest singing " a man was born to do one thing" which I am sure is somewhere on RUclips. They say Abba and Celine Dione were the only artists to make a career out of Eurovision but in my view Colm is probably the best West End singer of his time. He sings Bring Him Home really from the heart and this comes through in this performance.
I actually saw him in the musical before he left the show and he was AMAZING. I have seen clips of the movie and there is no comparison. Wilkinson is a professional theater actor and Jackman is more a movie actor who has done theater. And Colm can sing to me any day of the week.
I've listened to Colm often enough to hear a change in his voice over the years, which is natural. I clicked on this because the thumbnail showed him in modern dress, not in costume. Wow! MC Hammer pants with a tux jacket and a hankie hanging from his side pocket (?). What a strange outfit, even for the 80s!
Like theres heaps of skilled actors out there that can sing like this. HE clearly was cast as a great actor with good singing skills. No one could actually expect any decent actor to perform vocally as good as colm.
Les Mis Broadway and Movie version are two different things. People who say Jackman did a poor job because he didn't sing it the way Colm did simply don't understand the difference. Movie version was intended to be raw and not pretty. I think it captures more of the essence of the story than the musical. Both are wonderful in their own right. I've seen the musical and the movie and love both. If you go in expecting to see the musical version, stay home.
I don't like his Valjean in particular... But there is not a single singer who can sing this song like he does! There's no other actor who touches me by this song like Colm can. The man's a legend already, and he's not even dead yet.
Claude-Michel Schönberg wrote the score in this specifically for Colm so that's one of the reasons why he is the best. Another is because... he's Colm friggin Wilkinson.
For the person who commented on how great Gerard Butler sounded in Phantom of the Opera, I hate to disillusion you but his voice was altered in the studio. As a professional musician I can hear some of the edits. They probably edited every note to make it sound perfectly in key. Just listen to his live rendition of LA Woman on You Tube and you'll see how flat and off key he actually sounds. He was chosen for his appeal to women, nothing more. He might have a pretty voice, but it's weak and untrained and it was painfully obvious in the movie. By the way, according to the book, Erik (the Phantom) was middle age which could be anywhere from 40 to 50. . Hardly Butler's age. I agree that Jean Valdean was out of Jackman's range, but he would have been a fantasic Phantom. It's a shame he had to turn it down to make a turkey like Van Helsing. Oh and Wiilkenson's not singing falsetto. That's the operatic tenor "head" voice. There's a point your voice reaches where falsetto actually becomes part of your natural range. So the transition is seamless.
Branes51 oh trust me, there were PLENTY of women that were cringing at his voice. Myself included. He’s a good actor (and yes an attractive man), but good grief he was terrible as the phantom, his voice was like nails on a chalkboard to me and all my other female friends that saw the movie.
Actually, Hugh Jackman once played Curly on Broadway, in the musical Oklahoma. He does have a fantastic voice, as does Colm Wilkinson. Both are phenominal, so let's not argue.
WIL TALK beat me to my comment. Greatest Val Jean ever by a LOT, but what was he thinking when he picked out that outfit? Reminds me of the brown tuxedo from "My Cousin Vinny."
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude towards Vincent Van Gogh for painting this clip.
Nice !
mostmelon Laughed out loud at the comment.
+mostmelon LOL
+mostmelon Now that's funny lol
+mostmelon A-Material right here.
I fail to see how everyone comments on his style or how he may be a "bad singer" when this song was literally written for him. He IS valjean.
Colm's rendition is the most prayerful of any. Pure magic.
OMFG! Still the best 25 years later. He blew away all the rest of the Jean Valjeans on the 25th Anniversary PBS special.
Colm Wilkinson is so deep that whenever he walks into a room he has to soulfully sing ring Him Home before he can do anything else
I am an Alfie Boe fan, but this is breathtaking.
I've seen him live a couple of times. Colm's voice and delivery moves my soul!
geez this guy got even better his voice matured with age to a fantastic depth it has now unbelievable just beautiful
Colm set the bar. And here in 2024 Les Mis is still going strong. Nick Cartell was Val Jean in Des Moines, Ia. Wonderful!!
I saw him in '86 and fell in love with his voice then......even after 25yrs this song still gives me goose bumps.......
The fact the lyricist/composer of this beautiful piece had Colm Wilkinson's voice in mind when he wrote this is just wow.
They're all the real Valjean. Chosen for the life, vigor and soulfulness they bring to the role. Give each of them a chance to win you over in their own ways. Long live Les Mis :-)
The greatest of the Valjeans .SO lucky to have seen him in London ---for my 50th birthday treat to myself. He stopped the show with that last long note.I' ll nvere forget it.--JDLady.
Colm is the best Val Jean. There have been some great ones after his day but seriously... This song is so much more than being technically sound. Colm truly breaks my heart with this song much more so than Alfie could (though he's an amazing performer as well).
There's something magical in the flaws and breaks he brings to this song. It's not about holding the longest note and producing the best vibrato. At least to me.
Love Colm! Forever.
This is the voice you hear in Heaven.
WOW just WOW WOW WOW...from a time when the world was wonderful and life was worth living
That's the spirit /s...there is still plenty to live for, don't let life jade you.
there is not even a distant second to him in this song.
+goerizal1 My thoughts exactly clearly the best version. (still brings a tear)
I saw him sing this when I was seven years old when my parents took me to see Les Miserables. It has been with me ever since, and I'll never forget it.
His interpretation never changed.
He sings the same each and every time.
This is stunning on its own.
I saw this show for the first time in 1993 in Dublin and I was only 15. I cried. I think its an amazing show and if you havent seen it you need to..
Saw Colm's Christmas/ Broadway concert in December for some good o'l Irish folk, classic rock and his Broadway best. The man is still incredible. I was lucky to see him as a kid as the Phantom a few time and as Valjean in Toronto. The man is a true performer and entertainer. That voice live gives instant goosebumps.
After seeing the new production of Phantom last night with Chris Mann, I had to watch some of Colm's clips this morning to remember how that show is supposed to be done.
he's..............awesome.
He is incredible!!! I have heard this so many times; the benchmark of class must be, surly, is if you keep coming back[?]
Damn, hes so young. I love him
brought to tears in the first verse
he counds like this 20 year later
amazing voice!!
omg he's so young! i got to watch him live in the play of Les Miserables, absolutly breath taking performance. This is wonderful to be able to see him this young and still singing the way i remember him (in his later years)
Beautiful raw emotion and powerful voice..
I was blessed enough to be able to see him in this role on Broadway in November 1987. An experience I have yet to duplicate. No one could do ValJean like Colm!!!!
its amazing to see how much colm grew this role over the years,,,
I just love colm Wilkinson 😘💕👏
i can't express my love for this man, this song and this musical
THIS MAN was the best Phantom ever!!!
I saw (listened) him sing this in a small church in Solvay NY maybe 15 years ago. Will never forget it; 25 feet from him. There were very few dry eyes in the audience. Always will be my favorite.
Guys you in Western contries are lucky to see this such a great artist.. I envy you.
COLM WILKINSON IS THE BEST. He is better than any other who tried doing Valjean!! He can sing this, he can sing Jazz, he can sing blues and he can sing in the shower!!! HE IS THE AWESOMENESS OF AWESOME
His man is such a boss and people are commenting on his fashion sense?
Even after all these years, he still has it.
Colm lived on Frankfort avenue, in Rathgar, back in the sixties. My da said he and his brothers would sit out on their windows just singing for hours. Fair play Colm.
The first rehearsal he sang this, stopped the entire cast to listen, acapella. A standing O at every performance after.
I haven't seen our son in over 6 years... this song and COLM singing it, brings tears, everytime I hear it!
Have you seen your son since?🙁
It may not be a better vocal version, but colms version just made me cry. When he sings, he has FEELING. You hear the emotion. Its beautiful.
he makes me cry every time i hear this
that last note that he held for so long blew me away!
His name is Gary Morris and he fantastic! He and Colm are my favorites by far! Whats crazy is Gary Morris is a Country Singer that you have probably heard before. He sang Wind Beneath My Wings
Colm Wilkinson owns this song.
After all these years, I still miss Johnny. Colm is the only one, for me, who can sing this song. Two men, great at what they do.
Wilkinson defined Les Mis.
Perfection...
This man WANTED to be Canadian. That says a lot about him, and his adopted country. Having said that, this song always makes me cry. Always!
colm owns this song him and this song are a perfect match. nobody on this planet does it better
My one of heaven's routines to listen this master piece
The priest in the movie ... was Jean Valjean 25 yrs ago :-)
He created the role. He was included in the movie as homage to that.
Colm IS Jean Valjean....Hugh is a great performer, but he doesn't hold a candle to Colm. Colm brings tears to my eyes when he sings Bring Him Home....Hugh makes me gringe. It's nice homage to Colm to have him play the Bishop, but I can't stand seeing him play any other role in Les Miz other than Jean Valjean. The Les Miz 10 Year Anniversary Concert is THE BEST cast.....I can't stand watching the Les Miz film!!! :)
The Original Jean Valjean
I keep coming back to hear this ... wow!!!
Whenever I see someone else play the role of Jean Valjean, all I can think is that its just not the same as when Colm Wilkinson plays Valjean. NO ONE CAN TOP HIM!!!!! HE IS ULTIMATELY THE BEST PERIOD!!!
You want to know what a true artistic crime is? I saw this guy on Bway back in 1987. Brilliant.
Why this guy couldn't have had a bigger career on Bway or touring is beyond me.
Something about the corporate owned music companies dictating what gets heard, what looks good on video,
whats easy to sell- not a whole lot in that mix about pure raw talent.
This guy was just fantastic to see. Pity so few have actually seen him live
I am also from Germany and I got curious after reading your bitter comments about Colm not being able to sing. So, I checked your channel. You are a man, who couldn't sing if his life depended on it. You know, I really cracked up while hearing you sing "...hear my PRRRRRAAYYAAAA...." So, please, do me a favour and spare us any more of your (in Germany we would say) "Mist" and start enjoying this wonderful man's godlike voice that could even bring the coldest bastard to tears. Cheers from Germany
Absolutely beautiful!!!!
He is Irish and first came to notoriety when representing Ireland in the Eurovison Song Contest singing " a man was born to do one thing" which I am sure is somewhere on RUclips. They say Abba and Celine Dione were the only artists to make a career out of Eurovision but in my view Colm is probably the best West End singer of his time. He sings Bring Him Home really from the heart and this comes through in this performance.
Dazz Pazz
Colm is phenomenal!
Pure joy.
Colm is stunning as Jean Valjean!
Wow..freakn' amazing voice!!
Two classics! JC and JVJ!! Way cool!!!
Let 's not forget how Johnny could ask a question, and let the star shine!
Great song from great show!!
Beautiful....
Definitely My favorite Jean Valjean! ;)
I miss Carson! He let these guys have a spotlight! Letterman will do it now but no one will ever replace Carson. Well done.
My hero in life!
I actually saw him in the musical before he left the show and he was AMAZING. I have seen clips of the movie and there is no comparison. Wilkinson is a professional theater actor and Jackman is more a movie actor who has done theater. And Colm can sing to me any day of the week.
I love Colm
I've listened to Colm often enough to hear a change in his voice over the years, which is natural.
I clicked on this because the thumbnail showed him in modern dress, not in costume. Wow! MC Hammer pants with a tux jacket and a hankie hanging from his side pocket (?). What a strange outfit, even for the 80s!
That suit is a period peice.
Hammertime!
Wonderful!
OMG....THE BEST EVER
Like theres heaps of skilled actors out there that can sing like this. HE clearly was cast as a great actor with good singing skills. No one could actually expect any decent actor to perform vocally as good as colm.
Yay I'm actually glad to hear you sing it.
You must be f??king deaf because Colm has one of the most powerful voices I've ever heard.
Truly amazing.
Colm Wilkinson singing is what I would imagine sean connery singing to sound like. Amazing.
wow, i love it
Les Mis Broadway and Movie version are two different things. People who say Jackman did a poor job because he didn't sing it the way Colm did simply don't understand the difference. Movie version was intended to be raw and not pretty. I think it captures more of the essence of the story than the musical. Both are wonderful in their own right. I've seen the musical and the movie and love both. If you go in expecting to see the musical version, stay home.
Chuck Norris himself bows before the awesomeness of Colm Wilkinson!
no one sings it like him!
Wow, I love this song. I didn't know it was from Les Mis. I think I'll go check out the musical now.
I don't like his Valjean in particular... But there is not a single singer who can sing this song like he does! There's no other actor who touches me by this song like Colm can. The man's a legend already, and he's not even dead yet.
Glad they put him in the movie version.. ;)
Claude-Michel Schönberg wrote the score in this specifically for Colm so that's one of the reasons why he is the best. Another is because... he's Colm friggin Wilkinson.
For the person who commented on how great Gerard Butler sounded in Phantom of the Opera, I hate to disillusion you but his voice was altered in the studio. As a professional musician I can hear some of the edits. They probably edited every note to make it sound perfectly in key. Just listen to his live rendition of LA Woman on You Tube and you'll see how flat and off key he actually sounds. He was chosen for his appeal to women, nothing more. He might have a pretty voice, but it's weak and untrained and it was painfully obvious in the movie.
By the way, according to the book, Erik (the Phantom) was middle age which could be anywhere from 40 to 50. . Hardly Butler's age.
I agree that Jean Valdean was out of Jackman's range, but he would have been a fantasic Phantom. It's a shame he had to turn it down to make a turkey like Van Helsing.
Oh and Wiilkenson's not singing falsetto. That's the operatic tenor "head" voice. There's a point your voice reaches where falsetto actually becomes part of your natural range. So the transition is seamless.
Branes51 oh trust me, there were PLENTY of women that were cringing at his voice. Myself included. He’s a good actor (and yes an attractive man), but good grief he was terrible as the phantom, his voice was like nails on a chalkboard to me and all my other female friends that saw the movie.
holy shit!!! colm on the johnny carson show...
Gosh, even in an ugly over-sized suit and with a terrible 1987 picture quality, he still has the most powerful voice! What an amazing man!
holy shit I didn't even no he was in les mis prior to the film incredible voice is still make him Valjean who cares if he is old
❤️❤️❤️
great share
Actually, Hugh Jackman once played Curly on Broadway, in the musical Oklahoma. He does have a fantastic voice, as does Colm Wilkinson. Both are phenominal, so let's not argue.
rumpleteazer33
What brand of toaster was this filmed with?
WIL TALK beat me to my comment. Greatest Val Jean ever by a LOT, but what was he thinking when he picked out that outfit? Reminds me of the brown tuxedo from "My Cousin Vinny."
Tonight performing the part of Prisoner 24601 is Peewee Herman!
I don't see Colm in this piece or anytime he does the role, I see Jean Valjean. He'll always be THE DEFINITIVE Jean Valjean.