Shropshire's 'karaoke queen' dies just days before 99th birthday party

Rose Strickland, a former Britain's Got Talent contestant who is well known for singing in the pubs of Telford, Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, died on Saturday.

Her birthday party was due to take place on Tuesday this week at The Horseshoe Inn, Ketley, where she has been singing for the last 30 years.

But, after attending the pub's karaoke night a couple of weeks ago, she became unwell. Sadly, she never fully recovered and died at the weekend.

Her final ever performance at The Horseshoe was Frank Sinatra's My Way - which was also the first song she ever sang and her dad's favourite.

Last year she had the whole pub clapping and joining in with her rendition of Penny Arcade at her 98th birthday party.

Her friend Bob Urey, who runs karaoke nights and was helping organise her party, said: "She was still out and about up until a couple of weeks ago. She came to The Horseshoe. When she was leaving she came and said goodnight as she always did. We had a joke and a giggle."

Rose became unwell after that evening and was in hospital up until her death.

Bob added: "We were going to carry on with the party even though she was in hospital because that's what she wanted, but sadly we've lost her now.

"We've had hundreds of tributes coming in and photographs from over the years.

"I started the karaoke in 1988 and she was one of the first to come along. She used to follow us all across the county from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury. She would go to karaoke seven nights a week. She just never stopped.

"We really were expecting her to celebrate receiving the King's telegram (for turning 100 next year) because she was so vibrant. She was still going out and having a few Babyshams.

"She was the karaoke queen and saw all the other singers as her 'loyal subjects'. She would always give them a kiss and a hug.

"She lived life to the full with grace and with dignity."

Rose only started singing publicly in her 50s, but ended up being one of the oldest and most consistent performers in the country. She had a repertoire of around 200 songs, with favourites including Knights in White Satin.

She even entered Britain's Got Talent one year, and was only eliminated early by accident when an admin error meant she was sent the wrong letter.

Rose's singing could have been brought to a premature end in 2017 - when she was 92 - when she was involved in a car crash. She was travelling in the front passenger seat to a performance at The Beacon in Madeley with her son Dennis and then partner Terry Mabbutt when they were involved in a head-on collision.

Rose suffered severe pain to her leg and chest, which meant she was not able to leave her house in Malinslee for three weeks.

But she didn't let it stop her, and was back on the mic, delighting audiences soon after.

Rose was originally from Birmingham, and was in hospital from birth until the age of two because of problems with her legs.

During World War Two she became a NAAFI girl and saw the impact of the war on her home city.

She began singing for her dad, James Colley, would bring friends home from the pub to listen to her voice. Speaking to the Shropshire Star last year, she said: "He'd say 'come on Rose, give me My Way', I'd say 'oh Dad I'm tired, oh alright I'll sing for you dad', and I did. And it was always My Way."

She moved to Telford in her 30s with her husband, Frank, and in her 50s, she was re-introduced to singing through her brother. When they were out together once, he put her name down for a song without her knowledge. A karaoke queen was born. She released her first CD at the age of 57.

Rose also had a wicked sense of humour. One time she went to karaoke without her teeth, which she left at home in Steradent, but she still sang. "Bob said 'are you sure you didn't put them in?" she joked. "You sounded as good, if not better!"

Rose's friends and family will remember her final birthday performance fondly. A packed pub, complete with disco lights and glitter balls, watched in awe as she defied her years to sing her heart out. Friends and staff at the pub pulled out all the stops to make it special, with cards and flowers for Rose as well as a chocolate birthday cake.

Before she performed, she said: "At the moment my throat's a bit down, but it'll be alright." She then delivered a show-stopping performance.

She said she loved singing at The Horseshoe because "the people always acknowledge you, and make you feel wanted".