Cream of club scene celebrating awards

The Saddlers Club at Walsall Football Club was packed as some of the finest acts took to the stage for the 15th event. Clubs were invited to pick the best of their talent out of hundreds of acts . Singers and variety acts were voted on club members and the winners performed at the Walsall supporter's club last night after being presented with their trophies.

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Jack Stain, secretary and treasurer of the council, said: "There is some real top class talent in the region and these acts are the tip of the iceberg."

Johanna Rose, a 42-year-old mother-of-seven, won Best Female Vocalist for a second year. The Telford singer is a chronic asthmatic who has nearly died three times.

She said at the ceremony: "It keeps me alive, but I love it anyway, if I stopped enjoying it I would stop doing it."

Hundreds of guests at the event, which was sponsored by the Express & Star, were also given a special edition of yesterday's newspaper, with the winners featured on the front page.

David Laine, 24, of Tipton, won Best Newcomer and brought along most of his family tree to the occasion, with his parents, uncles, aunts and girlfriend there to celebrate with him. He said: "It feels brilliant.

"Unexpected – but brilliant. I have always loved any type of music at all – 60s, 70s, 80s, reggae, anything."

Engineer Ashley Jeffery, 35, and his wife, Janine, 31, of Trevor Road, Pelsall, Walsall, said that it felt "absolutely fabulous" to win the award for Best Duo.

Janine, a full-time mother to their two children, said the couple, who have been married for eight years, started singing together six years ago and found it worked well.

She said: "We just started on karaoke and went from there – it just worked."

Daniel Ballard, 27, of Mansell Road, Wellington, won Best Male Vocalist, while chef Hayley Cookson-Powers, 37, of Prestwood Road, Wolverhampton; Deb Tonks, 38, a medical receptionist, and husband transport manager Mark, 36, of Goodyear Avenue, Wolverhampton, won Best Trio.

When 37-year-old professional singer Tony Hughes, of Poplar Avenue, Wednesfield, and self-employed builder Paul Freeman, 56, of Furnace Lane, Halesowen, formed their variety act three years ago, little did they know how successful they would become.

Not only have the pair, called The Black Country Boys, won this year's best speciality act but they were also presented with the same award in 2008. Paul said: "It's a nice surprise that we won it again this year, we must be doing something right."

Brian Probert, who compered the event, also received an award for services to South Staffs.