Dudley singer to support The Saturdays on tour

The nerves subsided as she took to the stage as a pupil at The Straits Primary School to give her first solo performance.

And from the moment the audience cheered with approval she decided it was time to follow her dream of becoming a singer.

Fast forward almost two decades and Beth, from Gornal, in Dudley, is ready to take the next step to stardom in her whirlwind career.

See also: From shop girl to city Pride - singer Beth Sherburn is on the up.

The 23-year-old is celebrating being picked to join girl group The Saturdays on their Greatest Hits tour - which arrives at Birmingham's NIA on September 15.

It caps a meteoric rise for Beth over the past two years - after being discovered singing along to Christmas songs while working behind the perfume counter at Debenhams at Merry Hill shopping centre.

She has meet A-list actors at shows like Hugh Grant, attended film premieres, found fans from around the world with her music videos online and performed to thousands as shows across the country.

But for the girl-next-door nothing beats coming home to see her family for a cuppa and a catch up.

"I has been an amazing few months - I can't quite believe how it has gone," she said.

"It is nice to come back home to see everyone. It has been so busy what with going down to London, going to shows and meeting people.

"When I heard that I was going to be supporting The Saturdays I was so happy. It has been a lot of hard work to get here but I'm really looking forward to performing."

Growing up Beth says she was quite shy before she first found her voice as a singer in the school choir.

She can still remember the encouraging words of The Straits Primary School headteacher Adrian Slack who gave her the confidence to take on her first solo - a version of Celine Dion's Falling into You

"He was amazing and really helped me," she said.

"When I performed that first time it brought me out of my shell and I immediately knew what I wanted to do and that's be a singer.

"It was great to have that support from day one.

"I started taking piano lessons which also helped me develop my songwriting skills."

Her mother Sarah works as a registrar in Dudley and her father Graeme works for Dudley Council.

And Beth, who also attended Ellowes Hall Sports College, in Lower Gornal, said they have always supported her and her sisters Leah and Ellie in whatever they wanted to do.

When Beth was 14 she performed at The Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Matthew Kelly and George Costigan in Don Quixote.

And she was also part of a choir with Katherine Jenkins which took to the stage of The Royal Albert Hall around seven years ago.

The popstar also won first place during the national songwriting competition, judged by Bee Gees legend Robin Gibb, four years ago.

"I would be travelling to different places for shows, doing homework back stage. It is what I wanted. I'm not sure what else I would do," she joked.

She caught the attention of John McLaughlin - the man behind Take That, Sandi Thom, Girls Aloud and Busted - while singing the Michael Bublé hit 'Christmas' to herself while at working in November 2012.

It was a fairytale story for Beth who quit her job to sign her record deal and within weeks was achieving chart success with her debut single, a cover of Duran Duran's Ordinary World, which entered the UK Club charts.

Her hectic schedule has seen her go out to shoot her latest in Ibiza after she scored a major coup with the US rap star Lil Wayne to feature on the single Joker, which is due out on September 21.

Meanwhile her busy diary of shows also saw her perform at Manchester Pride in front of thousands of fans over Bank Holiday weekend.

And she also starred alongside singers Katy B, Conor Maynard, Bewdley-born singer Becky Hill and former Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt at Birmingham Pride earlier this year.

Life was a popstar also has its perks after she was invited to see fellow singer Pixie Lott perform an exclusive show.

And she met Hollywood actor Hugh Grant at the breast cancer charity golfing day, the Breakthrough Cup, earlier this year.

She was also invited to attend walk the red carpet in front of the flashbulbs from photographers at the premiere of rom-com What If starring Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe

But now Beth is busy in the studio with rehearsals well under way for her support slot on the 12-date tour which starts in Glasgow next Sunday (7).

"Rehearsals have been going really well. I've got to know the dancers so well know. It's like a family especially when you are on the road," she said.

"I've seen shows at the NIA before but it is going to be so special to actually be on stage there performing my new single for everyone.

"My family are coming to see me and they will hopefully be at the show at Wembley Arena and Plymouth too."

And less than two years after she was plucked from obscurity and given her shot at stardom, Beth says she advises any aspiring singers to seize their chance.

She said: "I always say just keep going. It can be really hard with knock backs along the way but you've not got to get disheartened as that break will come."