By Chris Houston
Irvine Beat FM Presenter
At the risk of sounding flash, I have to admit being a radio presenter has brought some memorable chance meetings with those who are from TV and radio. However, the following story of what appears to be Houston’s History was around five years before I first took to the air.
Ayrshire Voices
I was a member of Ayrshire Voices for some years as a youngster. Alongside the usual concerts we’d attend at the Ayr Town Hall, we’d sometimes venture further a field too. I remember a cracking June day on the Isle of Bute were we performed to locals in a church hall. Our next performance would be one where I’d meet a future famous singer and actor.
The Gaiety in Ayr
We were due to perform at The Gaiety in Ayr in July 2003. The show? Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Alongside about forty others, we all sat in two groups of twenty on either side of the stage on what can easily be described as the hardest marble steps known to man. We were forced to stuff big sponges used for cleaning cars down the back of our jeans as we were getting far too used to the regular bouts of pins and needles.
We had eight performances over six days. During one of the days we had two shows, some of the cast came up and gave us autographs if they wanted. I was hoping to meet the then lesser known Lee Mead who played the Pharaoh as I liked the “wuh-huh” song he performed but he never came up to where we would relax in-between shows!
Luckily, I got a quick chat with him on stage rehearsing before the last two shows. What a nice guy he really was!
Fast Forward Three Years
Fast forward three years and I suddenly see him on the BBC’s ‘Any Dream Will Do’ which if you’ll remember was a competition to play Joseph in the West End in London. I remember shouting at the then massive box in the corner, “THAT’S LEE!” to which my parents went, “who?”.
With him having win it they now occasionally go, “That’s Lee Mead…” instead of “WHO!?”.
Just goes to show the people you meet might one day become famous…wait to I tell the time i met Lewis Capaldi before he was famous…
I’ll save that for another day.
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