And the 33-year-old - who recently broken up with Petra Nemcova - insists that he was mixing with A-list stars long before his first album was released.

"Before Back To Bedlam I went out to the same clubs in Los Angeles and mixed with the same people, but it wasn’t in the papers," he added.

"Now it gets reported. You read about this guy in the papers who happens to have the same name and looks like me, but I don’t think I’ve met him."


Grand price for Blunt’s piano - July 16 2007
A piano used by singer James Blunt to compose his smash hit You’re Beautiful has sold for over £1,000.

The old Chappell upright piano, which was once owned by the star, went under the hammer at Bonhams in central London.

It fetched £1,200, including buyer’s premiums, from an anonymous private buyer whose daughter is learning to play, a Bonham’s spokesperson said.

The instrument was originally sold with the two-bedroom flat where the singer - whose real name is Blount - lived with his sister, and was then sold by the flat’s buyers.

It even merits a mention in the flat’s deeds, which state: "The piano on which James Blount composed his first pieces remains on the property and is included in the sale."

You’re Beautiful comes from the No 1 hit album Back To Bedlam.

Goodbye My Lover, from the same album, was also composed on the instrument, which is part of the Bonhams’ Piano Sale.


From Petra to Paris? - April 23 2007
James Blunt seems to be hitting the Hollywood singles scene with a vengeance - after being linked to Lindsay Lohan, the singer has apparently been cosying up to none other than Paris Hilton.

The pair got together on Wednesday night in LA at Hollywood hot-spot, Teddy’s at the Roosevelt Hotel, it seems.

"They were all over each other," a source told the New York Daily News. "They both ended up back at Paris’ house."

The source added that the pair were joined by the socialite’s sister Nicky and her current squeeze, David Katzenberg.

While James has apparently been enjoying his single status since splitting with long-term girlfriend Petra Nemcova at the end of March, Paris appeared to be getting serious with Desperate Housewives star Josh Henderson in recent weeks.

There’s no word on how Li-Lo’s taking the news - but an unfriendly, expletive-laden MySpace exchange supposedly between the actress and on-off friend Paris, which surfaced on several gossip blogs, has been denounced as a fake by Lindsay’s spokeswoman.

"She doesn’t have a MySpace page. Someone created one and they post things. It’s not her. This happened before," said the rep.

Singer Blunt avoids driving charges - April 16 2007
Singer James Blunt will not be charged in connection with a claim that he drove over someone’s foot while leaving a party in February, Los Angeles city attorney’s office has said.

"After review of the information provided, we’ve decided not to file charges at this time," city attorney’s spokesman Frank Mateljan said.

Police investigated a man’s claim that he was injured at a Bel-Air Estates bash on February 24.

Some witnesses reported that the singer was driving the car, police said.

Calls and an email to Blunt’s publicist Sheila Richman were not immediately returned.

Richman released a statement in February saying that Blunt and his car were "swarmed by paparazzi".