Performing in front of a live audience is a privilege

I’m really passionate about singing and have been all my life, although it’s only in later years that I turned ‘pro’ so to speak.Just in case you’re interested here’s a little more of my background. I come from a musical family my Dad was a musician he played piano, in the 1940’s he had a band, a quintet and they played at dance halls and would enter dance band competitions of which he won Melody Makers best band award in 1947 in Manchester, in later years he had his own jazz trio, his heroes were the likes of Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

My mum also loved music and had a very good singing voice, her favourite singer was Ella Fizgerald, but also loved, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr and the like.

My parents were a great inspiration to me growing up, I was born and raised in the UK I was born in Chester in the North West of England, and my earliest memory of music would have been at the age of about four or five. I can remember the Perry Como show on TV in glorious black and white, and the one song that stayed with me was Catch a falling star released in 1957.

From as far back as I can remember I was so used to seeing my dad suddenly appear dressed all in his black suit, white shirt and black bow tie and disappearing off into the night to go and play at a gig somewhere. And I can remember fondly Sunday mornings in the sixties listening to two-way family favourites on the radio as my mum would be singing along to Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee ect as she prepared the Sunday Dinner.

Sadly both of my parents have now gone but I still have quite a few of their old vinyl LP’s and treasure them.

My earliest recollections of singing in front of an audience would be aged around seven at family family gatherings.Also at school, singing in front of the class, while pulling my jumper from the waist out with my left hand to make the stem of a guitar, and strumming with my right hand singing Beatles numbers.I imagined myself as Paul McCartney, I loved the Beatles he was my favourite another huge influence at the time.

As life progressed through my teens, inevitably other things came along and also to be honest, I lost the confidence to sing to an audience and so kept my singing strictly for the privacy of the shower.

The years went by, meeting my lovely wife, having three wonderful kids, a long and demanding career  in Advertising and music had to take a back seat.

I came back to singing later on in life quite unexpectedly.I was asked to perform at a party in Portugal and was delighted and very much relieved that everyone had enjoyed it! that and quite a few people who had heard me at times encouraged me to start out and do it.This rekindled my passion for publicly performing the songs of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Perry Como ect.

When I perform in font of a live audience I really enjoy seeing some of the reactions to certain songs, that have sparked a memory or two, or maybe it’s just a favourite song I absolutely love it, performing in
front of a live audience is a privilege.

In 2007 I was lucky enough to go and see Tony Bennett live in Manchester, I think he had just turned 80 and he absolutely blew me away with the power, control and quality of his voice. One thing is for sure, the music of these great crooners is truly timeless and as popular today as it’s ever been.