A cabaret singer has blasted the banning of the Sir Tom Jones song Delilah as "pathetic." Boy George impersonator Liam Halewood told the Manchester Evening News "re-writing history is wrong."
The Welsh Rugby Union recently removed the classic hit and Welsh rugby anthem Delilah from the choir setlists at the Principality Stadium because of its violent connotations. The song tells the story of a jealous parter discovering his girlfriend frolicking with another man and stabbing her to death.
One line from the 1967 Ivor Novello-winning hit reads: "I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door; she stood there laughing. I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more."
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A Principality Stadium spokesperson said of the decision: “Delilah will not feature on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals at Principality Stadium. The WRU removed the song from its half-time entertainment and music play list during international matches in 2015. Guest choirs have also more recently been requested not to feature the song during their pre-match performances and throughout games.
"The WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind. We have previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song and we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter.”
Liam, 36, who has been singing since he was 18 and has performed on Canal Street and social clubs across Manchester, told us: "The world is going mad. Next they will try and ban Man I Feel Like A Woman. It’s all going a bit too far. Delilah is a proper cabaret staple singalong song."
On Saturday, Liam appeared on TalkTV to discuss Delilah and the Aretha Frankin classic Natural Woman both making headlines. There was a heated response after a tweet from the account Trans Cultural Mindfulness Alliance (TCMA) about the 1967 soul classic Natural Woman.
The tweet read: "Aretha Franklin's 1968 song 'Natural Woman' perpetuates multiple harmful anti-trans stereotypes. There is no such thing as a 'natural" woman.' This song has helped inspire acts of harm against transgender women. TCMA is requesting it is removed from Spotify & Apple Music."
Liam said: "I'm all about changing the future but rewriting history is absolutey pathetic. It's ridiculous." He added: "I just think for me rewriting history has got to stop. We won't have history to teach kids if we keep changing it.
"It's a song. We should allow artists to be artists there're being free with their art. If you're easily offended by a song with everything else going on in the world you should really look at your priorities."
Liam, who auditioned for the X Factor in 2015, has caused a stir this week on TikTok dancing in a Sam Smith-style outfit following the Unholy and Dancing With a Stranger singer's much-talked about appearance at The BRIT Awards. He has previously called for a crackdown on social media filters allowing influencers to alter their image after spending £20,000 on changing his appearance and getting into serious debt at 28.
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