Music

Yateley singer savours his big moment on The Voice

By Tim Tonkin
April 25, 2012

A SINGER/SONGWRITER from Yateley has told how he enjoyed every minute of his time on BBC One show The Voice, which has seen him attracting national acclaim.

John James Newman had been a contestant on the Saturday evening primetime show as part of 'Team Danny', having wowed judges during the audition stages with his version of Pack Up by Eliza Doolittle.

He was pitted against fellow team member David Julien for the 'battle' stage of the talent contest, the pair delivering a rousing performance of Stereophonics' Dakota, but coach Danny O'Donoghue voted to keep Julien for his final five.

Yet despite his early departure from the show, the musician and father of one said that he had savoured and enjoyed every moment of his journey, adding that he was keen to continue the momentum built up from the show to push forward his dreams of a music career.

Newman, who lives in Yateley with his wife Stephanie and their 10-month-old daughter Alice, said he had also loved the positive response from the public to his on screen performances, opening the way for many more people to become fans of his music.

He said: "I was really, really thrilled with the performance and so pleased our battle got to close the show.

"I know I went out but I had such a good time on the show so I am a happy camper and have no regrets."

Newman added that he had no qualms over the way his sing-off with David was pitched on the show, that of an inexperienced vocalist coming up against seasoned performer.

He said: "It is a fair portrayal as David is 23 and I am 33 and I have done what I have done with my band.

"That is no discredit to him however as he is a consummate performer and a great guy."

Having grown up in Crowthorne as a youngster, Newman was a pupil at Edgebarrow School before moving with his family to Newcastle where he went to college.

His father Sandy was a member of the Scottish pop outfit Marmalade, while his brother Alec is currently starring in BBC One drama Waterloo Road.

After moving back down south and forming a band, Newman spent a number of years in the States singing and performing on the open mic circuit before returning to the UK in 2003.

Since his appearances on The Voice, Newman's Facebook and Twitter accounts have witnessed a surge in interest and activity with the 33-year-old saying his mobile phone had had two "meltdowns" in recent weeks with the screen freezing up due to the volume of encouraging tweets from fans and well-wishers.

"I have had people get in touch with me online saying that they had seen me down the Frog and Wicket pub and then turned on the TV and seen me on The Voice." he said, acknowledging that many people in Yateley had expressed their pride in him representing their town on a national stage.