FROM STUNTMAN TO SINGING STAR: RUSSEL FINDS HIS VOICE
suzanne.simonot@news.com.au lives at Main Beach with his Aussie wife, Ali Francis.
Ali was there to see him perform Bruno Mars’s Locked Out of Heaven for last night’s blind audition – and land himself a spot on Team Seal.
Francis joins the only other Gold Coaster through to the next round so far – Burleigh Waters make-up artist Claire Howell, 19.
Married since July 2015, the Francises met in Vegas in 2013 when Ali was starring in Vegas! The Show.
Francis says he loves the Aussie way of life.
“There’s no place like Australia,” he says.
Howell, who landed a spot on Team Delta after all four coaches turned their chairs around during her blind audition performance of Seal’s hit Crazy last week, appeared on last year’s season of the reality TV sing-off alongside her best friend, series five semi-finalist and fellow Gold Coaster Tasha Lockhart.
Howell provided one of the highlights of the Blinds last year when she sang with new coach Jessie J before losing an emotional battle with eventual grand finalist, Ellen Reed.
Russ Walker, the older brother of former Australian Idol winner turned recording artist and actor Stan Walker, will attempt to step out of his brother’s shadow when he features in a coming blind audition.
A highly experienced RnB, soul and gospel performer on the pub circuit, Walker hopes to establish his bonafides as a vocal star in his own right.