Chippenham singer in area final of contest (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham singer in area final of contest

4:05pm Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News

Chippenham crooner Terry Franks is through to the area final of the Open Mic UK competition.

Mr Franks, 37, from Pewsham, was successful in his audition in which he sang a minute’s worth of Daniel Merryweather’s Red in front of a panel of judges.

Thousands of acts entered the competition for unsigned singers and Mr Franks will perform at the area final in Reading on October 28 for the chance to progress to the grand final at the O2 in London.

Mr Franks, who is married with two children, said: “I was quite chuffed to get through. About 400 people went into the audition I was at. There were three of us on stage and we had to step forward and sing in front of a panel of five judges.

“I am nervous and excited about getting to the area final. I am going to give it my best shot and hopefully I will do Chippenham proud.”

Mr Franks, who is a financial adviser, regularly performs in the Chippenham area and is often compared to Michael Buble.

He is also a tenor in the Wessex Male Choir, based in Swindon, and last year they won the male voice choir Eisteddfod.

When he was ten, he was a chorister at Bristol Cathedral School and, on his retirement at 14, he was head chorister.