HE’S a Brit Award winner who has performed with the wife of the future king but Tom Walker has revealed his dream is to record a duet with his 84-year-old gran.
The Leave The Light On singer said his mum’s mum Sadie, who lives in Glasgow, has the best voice in the family and if he could pick one person in the world to sing with it would be her.
Tom, 30, who was born in Scotland but raised in England, also revealed the pair of them got into trouble a couple of weeks ago for belting out show tunes in a beer garden late at night.
The platinum selling artist, who performed with the Duchess of Cornwall during her Westminster Abbey carol concert last Christmas, said: “My gran is an absolute legend and she is an amazing singer. My mum and dad don’t play instruments or sing so my sister and I have both got our musical talents from my gran.
“She sings all the time especially when she is in the kitchen rustling me up a roll on square sausage. She loves a bit of Frank Sinatra. Every time she gets the opportunity she is up on the mic. She is not shy about it. I love duetting with her and if she was up for us releasing a song together I would be really up for it.”
Tom, who has sold more than 2 million albums worldwide, added: “My gran who lives in sheltered housing in Glasgow has pretty much come to every one of my Scottish gigs. She even made it to TRNSMT. It was her first festival and she was 80 at the time.
“When I picked up Best Male at this year’s Nordoff Robbins Awards it was my gran who presented it to me. She walked the red carpet with me and my mum and loved every minute of it. She’s something else.
“The pair of us got into big trouble a couple of weeks back. We were at the back of a beer garden with all the family. We were singing show tunes and my gran was belting them out. We were so loud we got complaints from people staying in the hotel and got a telling off from staff which she found hilarious.”
The former chef and busker, who won Best Breakthrough Artist at the Brit Awards in 2019, admitted he still has to pinch himself when he thinks about singing with the Duchess of Cambridge.
He also revealed there were lots of tears when his family watched his Royal duet of “For Those Who Can’t Be Here” at the Westminster Abbey carol concert.
Tom, who wrote the song about his grandad Hughie, who passed away from lung cancer in May 2021, said: “I have no idea how that whole thing came about. There are days in my career when I look up and say how on earth is this happening to me, this is mental? - that was one of those days.
“It was a great day and I was honoured to be a part of it. To be accompanied by the Duchess on the piano - it’s not your everyday gig. I think the Duchess was quite shocked about how well she did.
“It’s one thing going about speaking at different charity events and playing your role in the Royal family but jumping in with a bunch of musicians you have never met to play a song you have only had a week to learn in front of a whole camera crew at Westminster Abbey is taking it to another level.
“I was well nervous so who knows how she was feeling. She was terribly brave and very natural at it. I would do another Royal gig in a heartbeat but it remains to be seen whether I will get invited back.”
Tom, who was raised in Kilsyth, Lanarkshire, by dad John and Cumbernauld-born mum Maureen before they moved to Knutsford, near Manchester, with sister Charlotte when he was just three, added: “We got to watch the programme on Christmas Eve together as a family at my mum’s house which was incredible. Gran and mum were in tears of disbelief and so was I. It was quite an emotional one. My mum was both happy and sad when she watched it as it was a tribute to her dad. The funny thing is I doubt my grandad would have liked it as he didn’t like my music anyway.
“He came to a gig once and said it was just a bunch of noise but I suppose he would have liked boasting to his mates down the pub as it was in all the papers.”
Another of Tom’s proudest moments was performing with the Red Hot Chilli Pipers at the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards in 2020.
The Better Half of Me singer, who is working on his second album due out next year, said: “The gig took place outside in the Glasgow University Cloisters so as far as my first busking experience in Glasgow goes it was pretty awesome.
“It was an incredible event and to be playing with those guys was awesome. Not long after they surprised me at my Barrowlands’ gig by joining me on stage for Leave The Light On.”
Tom, whose latest single “Sun Will Shine” is a collaboration with Robert Schulz, is busy preparing for the most important gig of his life - his wedding to health advisor fiancée Annie, who he proposed to in Sri Lanka in 2019.
He said: “We’ve finally set a date. We are getting married in April next year and I’m super excited. It’s going to be in the North of England so people from London and Scotland don’t have to travel seven hours to get to a wedding.
“I don’t think I will be wearing a kilt. I’m allergic to wool. I have only worn one once in my life when I was six at my auntie and uncle’s wedding. I was scratching and complaining for ten hours straight so I think I might skip it this time. “I will probably wear my beanie hat though as I wear it every other day. I rented the top hat for a wedding once but it crushed my ears as I didn’t realise how heavy it was. My ears were at a 90 degree angle for the day so I think I will just stick to my beanie and no kilt.”
Tom is set to perform an exclusive, ‘Live & Up Close’ gig for a lucky Clyde 1 audience - as well as those across the Hits Radio network Scotland - as part of an exciting partnership between Clyde 1 and Radisson RED, Glasgow.
The intimate gig, which will be hosted by Drive Time presenter, Garry Spence, will take place in the hotel’s RED Sky Bar.
Tom said: “I’m really looking forward to this gig. It will just be me and the talented pianist I play with Pete. These performances can be quite intense as there is nothing to hide behind. In a stadium if you make a wee mistake it doesn’t show up but when you’re are doing an acoustic set you have to be spot on. I’m dead excited to get back up to Scotland as it is a great reason to spend more time with the legend that is my gran Sadie.”
Radisson RED curator, Graham Chalmers said: “We are thrilled to partner with Clyde 1 and Bauer Media for this new concept and welcome Tom Walker to the RED Sky Bar.
“At Radisson RED Glasgow we constantly strive to bring our customers and guests the very best in entertainment and this collaboration is exactly that.
“We’re very excited for not only this intimate concert, but the other big plans we have together in Scotland’s most unique intimate venue.”
