www.dailyrecord.co.ukKeith Jack Goes From Tesco Job To Joseph Tour
Dec 8 2007 By Samantha Booth
WHEN Scots teenager Keith Jack missed out on winning hit TV talent show Any Dream Will Do, he thought he might have to return to his job at his local Tesco store in Scotland.
But coming second in the contest, which was watched by millions across the country every Saturday night for weeks, left the teenager with some more enticing options than returning to bag packing.
The young singer found himself performing for the Spanish royal family, singing at the Picnic in the Parliament and playing the narrator in the UK tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat.
And on Monday his first single, When A Child is Born, will be released to raise money for the Radio Clyde Cash For Kids and the Radio Forth Help A Child appeals.
The young singer is even hoping that his album, a collection of songs written by some of the world's top songwriters, will be in the shops in the new year.
Hard to believe this has all happened to the teenager from Dalkeith, Midlothian, since he lost out to Lee Mead in the show's finale six months ago.
He said: "I am really buzzing at the moment just because of all the things that have happened to me since the show finished six months ago.
"I am really excited about everything that I am doing and I can't believe I still get recognised so long after Any Dream came to an end.
"Doing the show was a great experience but I wasn't really sure what was going to happen afterwards but now I find myself in a great position.
"The tour has been going brilliantly. I have been getting good reviews and I have the single coming out. I am really pleased with the single, especially.
"I love the song because it is so simple and it feels so Christmassy. When we were trying to decide what song to release as the single, we thought When A Child Was Born was appropriate because we wanted to raise money to help children." But after becoming a anover-night celebrity, Keith faced the prospect of returning home to Dalkeith and back to work in the local Tesco store, where he was a self-service assistant when the series ended.
He said: "I just didn't know what would happen and I did go back to Dalkeith for a few weeks but I gave the job up when I realised I was going to get other job offers.
"And now I'm actually getting recognition for doing something that I have always dreamed of doing.
"I can even start to hope that I might be able to do something that I love for the rest of my life. That's amazing."
When Keith headed home after he lost out in the grand final he was a bit disheartened but it wasn't long before the offers started coming in.
After performing for the Spanish royal family and at Picnic in Parliament, Keith was offered the role of the narrator in the touring Joseph show, in which fellow Scot and Any Dream Will Do contestant Craig Chalmers stars as Joseph.
Keith took over the role in September and since then he has been touring the country performing to packed theatres in Bath, Dublin, Brighton and Aberdeen. He stayed with Any Dream Will Do judge John Barrowman when the show went to Cardiff.
He said: "That was just wild. To begin with, I could barely speak because John was a judge on the show. So seeing him before was always a bit nerve-wracking but I relaxed and we got on great.
"It was such a laugh and I went with him down to the set of Torchwood and met all the stars of Dr Who, it was just amazing."
And now Keith can't wait for the show to arrive in Edinburgh where it kicks off next Monday.
He said: "I am really looking forward to that because I think the excitement levels will go up again as we're performing in Edinburgh, our home town."
Monday will be a busy day for Keith as that's also when his single is released.
The idea for a charity Christmas single came about after Keith was introduced to music producer John McLaughlin by Stagequest founder and Keith's old friend, Adam Quest.
The single will be available as a download from Monday.
Keith said: "After I was introduced to John, who has worked with Blue and Westlife, it all just took off and suddenly I have a single which is about to be released and an album being made.
"It is just so exciting because everything is going well. The album is being written by some of the world's top songwriters, who write songs for groups such as Il Divo and Westlife.
"There are three or four of them writing different songs for the album and I am going to sing a couple of my favourite ones from the show as well, including Love is All Around and Always on My Mind.
"We are also hoping to do a couple of duets with some of the judges from the show but I can't tell you who yet, so it will have to be a surprise."
But before all that Keith, who has always dreamt of being on stage, is looking forward to spending Christmas at home.
Luckily for him, as the tour is in Edinburgh, it will be easy for him to pop home to Dalkeith for the big day, where he says he is looking forward to relaxing with his family, playing DVD games and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream.
He also says he won't be worrying about what happens to his single.
Keith said: "I am not even hoping to make the charts, really.
"If it did go in it would be amazing and a real boost for me but the real purpose of the single is to raise money for the charities. So as long as it does that, I will be more than happy.
"Although, I suppose, if it went into the charts then it would mean more money for the charities, so bring it on."
And as for the new year, aside from the release of his album and finishing off the Joseph tour, Keith is really hoping to keep up the momentum that has been building in his career since Any Dream Will Do.
Although he does admit it would be nice to stop living out his suitcase at some point and to set up a permanent base.
He said: "I would like to live in London and be in the West End after this and give up living out of a suitcase for a while.
"But on saying that, if the single does well, I might be a proper recording artist by then and who knows what that may bring.
"In all honesty, though, I can't really say which I would prefer, to be in the West End or to be a recording artist.
I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
"Or maybe I'll do both, after all that's what John Barrowman has done, so if hecan do it, why can't I?"
To download Keith's single visit
www.keithjack.com, i-tunes or Napster
'I'm really buzzing at the moment because of all the things that have happened to me since the show finished six months ago'
© 2007 owned by or licensed to Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail Ltd
See also:-
living.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=3588158
