Louis William Tomlinson (/ˈluːi ˈtɒmlɪnsən/ LOO-ee TOM-lin-sən; born Louis Troy Austin; 24 December 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born and raised in Doncaster, England, Tomlinson auditioned for British singing competition The X Factor as a solo artist in 2010, where he and four rejected solo contestants were placed into a group which became the British-Irish band One Direction, one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.