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How I discovered Michael Ball By Trudy Blackburn May, 2000
I was a bit slow on the uptake! I have a friend who is a fan of the Eurovision Song Contest and back in early 1992 she told me that we (meaning the UK) had the best singer we had ever had representing us that year. I thought about tuning in but in the end didn't bother. I was a huge Elvis Presley fan for many years and I never thought there would ever be another singer as good as Elvis ...
That spring we went to Blackpool for a few days and spotted that Michael was appearing in concert at the Opera House, a really huge venue. We decided to book and discovered to our disappointment that the show was sold out. I realized that Michael was much more well known and popular than I had realized and decided to take more note of him in future.
When Michael's television series came on in the summer of 1993 I made a point of taping the first show as I was actually out. The second song was "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables". It was then it dawned on me that this was not just a good singer but an absolutely superb one. By the end of the second show and during "You Made Me Love You" I was beginning to realise that the world now contained a singer that could bring magic to any song he tackled. For me at least, at last a singer as good as Elvis.
I took the video back round to my neighbour straightaway and she told me I could keep it for a while longer. I then said "It's OK - I'm off down town to buy my own!" During that trip I bought the video, the Michael Ball CD, the Always CD, Les Miserables and Aspects of Love!
By that August I had joined the Fan Club (absolutely essential if you want decent concert tickets) and in September 1993 I went to my first Michael concert (the ROC concert in London). In the ladies loo during the interval I confidently told the others in there chatting about Michael that I would be quite happy just to see him that once. They all laughed and said just wait until you've seen him - you'll be well and truly hooked! How right they were! I can honestly say that you really haven't heard Michael until you hear him sing live.
Since then I've been to over thirty concerts, seen Passion six times, bought all the CD's, amassed a brilliant video collection and never missed his television appearances.
I have also seen Michael many times at stage doors and, though I have never "met" him, have joined in with other fans in little chats with him. As well as being a sensational concert performer, wonderful actor and truly brilliant singer, Michael is polite, warm, kind, beautifully spoken and is always a perfect gentleman. (And he has a great sense of humour!)
As an added bonus, I have made many good friends who all have something in common - our love of the truly wonderful Michael Ball.
Trudy Bradburne Note: Photos courtesy of Trudy Bradburne and/or friends
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In
January 1993 I was watching afternoon TV when I realized that the singer
about to come on was causing great excitement and anticipation in the
audience. Michael was announced and sang "Always on My
Mind" - one of my all-time favourites. He sang it so
beautifully that I ran to put a blank tape in so that I could play it
back to my husband when he came home. We both agreed that
Michael was a really good singer. I told my Eurovision friend of my
"new" discovery and she went apoplectic! THAT's the
singer I was telling you about she screamed! Michael Ball!
He's wonderful!
All
the neighbourhood were talking about Michael's new show and lots of
people at work (particularly all the women) were raving about him.
My next door neighbour told me she had a video called "Michael
Ball" which she offered to lend me. It was during "The
First Man You Remember" that I thought Well, I'm in love!!
When he came down the stairs and smiled I just flipped and I've never
been the same since!
