Wolverhampton's Amy G calls for her city's backing
Wolverhampton singer-songwriter Amy G is calling for the backing of her hometown after reaching the final of a national competition.
Amy, originally from Willenhall and who has previously featured in The Star Unsigned column, has made it into the final 21 out of thousands of entrants in the Future Female Competition run by Capital Xtra Radio and clothing brand I Saw It First.
Real name Amy Goodall, she now needs her fellow Wulfrunians to back her in the public vote and help her to victory.
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"It will be going to the public vote from today," she said.
The singer released her debut EP called Blueprint last Christmas and has also released a string of singles. One of those, Piece Of Me, she used to raise money for Wolverhampton's Compton Hospice, as well as Cancer Research UK, after losing her grandfather to the illness as a teenager.
The former Coppice Performing Arts School pupil and University of Wolverhampton graduate is now looking to push on from performing on the local clubs circuit as well as a few other projects including a nationally-performed Ariana Grande tribute act and a tour of schools around the country promoting how to stay safe online.
And Amy says one person who would be over the moon with her getting this far is the woman who inspired her into music - her beloved aunt Janny, who tragically died at the age of 49, just two days after contracting swine flu.
“My aunty introduced me to music," she adds. "Her stage name was Janny Lee Stone and she [performed at all] the clubs and pubs in the 90s. I was watching her at her peak and when I turned 11, she let me do my first duet with her. She made me believe I could live my dream by working hard.
"I’d go to her house every week to practise songs. She’d say ‘when you turn 16, we’ll do this’ and ‘when you turn 18, you’ll get an agent’. She was going to be my manager and then, suddenly, she disappeared. I was 15. It was the toughest experience of my life.
“My aunty never got to see me perform but my family always tell me how proud she would be. There have been many times when I’ve felt low - I’d be in the car or, when I performed on cruise ships, sitting in the bar - and my aunty’s favourite song Wing Beneath My Wings by Bette Midler would play. During those times I never cried, I just went ‘hiya!’ because I really do feel she’s with me.”
By visiting www.isawitfirst.com/pages/firstlook people can take a look at the girls who made the final - including Amy G - with videos for each singer available to watch. Amy's video can be viewed by clicking on her name, and votes can be registered for her.
To get this far, Amy has impressed judges such as Capital Xtra Radio's Yinka and Shayna Marie, executive producers Zed Bias and Steel Banglez and the I Saw it First team.
"We had to enter a original song and post on our social media about it," she continues. "Out of thousands they chose 21 females as the finalists.
"As you can see on their website whre it says 'meet the girls' I am the only female from the West Midlands so I need my region to really get behind me and vote.
"I starred in my own music video with top professionals and it was such an amazing experience, so many talented creatives working with you to help you make the best video is literally all you could ask for as an aspiring artist. There were people on hand for hair, make-up, fashion, and movement with our very own director. It was a snippet of the life we are all working hard towards."
Voting will run until the end of the year.
"There is a big cash prize of £25,000 to help jump-start the winner's career. This would be a dream come true if I won this competition, it's the break I need.
"The song that I entered and performed for the music video to is my new remix of One Night, produced by Thomas Graham, that is now available on all digital platforms.
"2020 will be a big year for my dance music, I really feel like I have found my lane and great things have started to happen," Amy continued.
For more on Amy G, follow her on Twitter @SingerAmyG and Facebook @amygofficialxo
