Hailing from Salford, Greater Manchester, England, Watson initially was not seeking a career as a professional singer. Working as a bolt-cutter in Manchester, Watson began accepting singing engagements to earn extra money. His reputation and popularity increased through these engagements, ultimately leading to his being chosen to sing at the Rugby Challenge Cup final in Wembley Stadium in 1999. His performance there was so successful that he was later invited to sing at the UEFA Champions League soccer final in Barcelona. Following this, his career took off, and his first album – entitled The Voice – followed in 2001. Both that album and his next, 2002's Encore, won Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in 2001 and 2002, respectively.