Channel 5 Documentary
Ian appeared in a Channel 5 documentary about Frank Sinatra “His way, king of the crooners” which has been broadcast many times on national TV. Ian was originally employed as a look a like but eventually the producer decided Ian should do some singing and also provided some of the historical facts used in the documentary.
I think Ian would like to make amendments to this page but hasn’t said exactly what yet, and its a bit trickier with it being a newspaper article so this is something we will need to look at together.
Biography
On Sept 19th, 1980, Ian was very honoured to be in the “chairman’s” presence for the first time. Mr Sinatra came on stage, while Ian was busy getting Gregory Peck’s autograph and didn’t realise that his idol was standing in front of him, while Ian had his back to him, until Ian heard the most thunderous roar of applause from the audience of the Royal Albert Hall. Ian then turned around and realised Mr Sinatra was right in front of him. Ol’ Blue eyes looked directly at Ian and Ian melted. Mr Sinatra allowed Ian to take some photographs of him, while he was on stage, and here are some shots.
The whole evening is more than just a fantastic musical treat. Imagine a room filled with the memorabilia from the classic days of the swing era. The whole room will come alive with genuine signed photographs of the rat pack. Ian is the proud owner of some of the most sought after memorabilia in the world. This includes gold discs, a telegram from Grace Kelly when he received his Oscar, even Ian’s hat has been copied from Sinatra’s own milliner. The suit Ian wears on stage is an exact replica of Mr Sinatra’s trademark black tuxedo.
My Way
Ian possesses one of Mr Sinatra’s gold discs for his worldwide anthem ‘My Way’ which in 1969 remained in the British Charts for over a year. The chairman of the board who fought racism throughout his career always did it his way.
CORE VALUES
I believe that allowing yourself the luxury of knowing it is going to be right, is a luxury everyone should be able to afford. A singer always owes the audience everything he can give and more. Give openly of your talent and your heart, what is in a singer’s heart must be in every note or he has failed. No matter how technically correct he is singing. A singer’s greatest satisfaction should be to know that his work has enriched the lives of those he has been privileged to sing to. A singer is first an interpreter of stories, when I sing it is like sitting down and telling a story. Respect the audience, they are always the most important judge of your work, always thank them for letting you sing for them.
Bring a point of view, but be flexible. Be truthful when you sing and when you speak. Mean what you say and always do what you say you will. An audience can sense sincerity, be worthy of your goals, your heroes and mentors. Be courageous in your musical choices, surprise the audience and never settle for less. Never break your word, it is your most precious asset. Find a path you love and the work becomes your passion. I will do everything I can to make your event the best I can, and this is my promise to you.
Quality can always be improved; preparation is quality’s best friend. Always buy the best musical equipment, the best is always the cheapest. There is no shortcut to quality.
Trifles make perfection and perfection is no trifle. Devote yourself to the perfection of what you do. Think before you speak, before you sing and before you walk on stage. Never be complacent or content. Be better.
There is something sacred about music, be generous in your musical choices. Every time you walk on stage you have the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently. Be articulate, flexible and expressive. Be passionate, don’t take yourself too seriously, music is the shorthand of emotion. Be truthful when you sing and when you speak. Try to be nice to everyone. Be grateful, be kind, be sincere.
Be brave, be positive, never negative. Represent your values and encapsulate them. Know one becomes a singer because of the money, be dedicated, don’t give up, you have to respect yourself, only then can you learn to respect others. Always pay attention and always find the joy. Your profession is not what brings home your pay cheque, it’s what you were put on earth to do, so do it with such passion and integrity that it becomes spiritual in its calling.
Be 100% present, always. Remember that your profession is not what you do, it is who you are. When you sing, earn the privilege of your audience’s time. You are what you do so do it with enthusiasm. If you don’t take risks, you risk even more. Be early, be ready and say thank you. Remember opportunity is missed by many people because it is often dressed in overalls and looks like hard work. A professional always finds his truth in the work. You already buy yourself energy and creativity if you come prepared and are early
TRUST
QUALITY
HIGH STANDARDS
INTEGRITY
