Danny boy When Wanted star Tom lit up the stage in Grease
In May 2017 Tom Parker was appearing at the Bristol Hippodrome as Danny Zuko in Grease. He spoke to reporter Jeffrey Davies
❝ I feel there’s a bit of Danny in most guys. A lot of them have that confidence and self-assuredness but, at the same time, there’s a vulnerability about them as well
Tom Parker in 2017
TOM said when he was offered the role in Grease: “I was so pleased and delighted. I was so proud. I always said I wanted a role I could do something with, a role I could add something to, and not just take it on for the monetary value.
He said at the time: “I’m still learning and I’m still growing as a musical theatre performer.”
He said of his role: “Because I was in a boy band I was used to large crowds and being the centre of attention. But, on the other hand, there was so much I needed to learn about musical theatre and the way you support your voice when you do eight shows a week which we do.
“I wasn’t really used to that sort of thing when I was in a band. It was definitely a massive learning curve for me and during the nine months of tour, and every day I go on stage, I am sure I will continue to grow and learn more and more.”
“I feel there’s a bit of Danny in most guys. A lot of them have that confidence and selfassuredness but, at the same time, there’s a vulnerability about them as well. They might have that bravado in front of their mates but really they’re all softies and vulnerable behind closed doors.“
“In Grease Danny is the centre of attention, the leader of the guys, which I was to a certain extent in The Wanted.
“But when I was off stage, away from all that attention, I kind of liked my own space, and my own time. But, yes, I used to be a lot more like Danny when I was about 20. But I sort of grew out of it. Now, I’m 28 and happily engaged to a lovely lady, and am looking forward to getting married and having a family.”
Asked if felt proud of his achievements he said: “Yes, I feel proud of myself.
“And my Mum and Dad in Manchester do as well. They’ve seen me many times with the band.
“The first time she saw me she was so nervous she couldn’t even watch half of the show. The second day she came back a week later and managed to watch and enjoy it. She came up to me at the end and she said she was so proud of me because I’d put myself into something I’d never achieved before.
“Three weeks before the opening night of this show my Mum said she was very proud of me. That meant a lot. You know, I’d never even thought of - or done - musical theatre before. It was something that I had to learn quickly, like the choreography which was very complex at times.”
Asked for his favourite Wanted song, Tom said: “I feel our first number one single All Time Love is probably my favourite for a number of reasons. First, it was at a time when boy bands were coming off The X Factor or they were dancing boy bands.
“We came out of nowhere, we worked our way up and created a little bit of a style that no one had seen before.
“And we had a song which had strings and a dance element to it. Yes, I have very fond memories of that one.
Tom said there was music in the Parker family genes.
“I don’t get it from my Mum’s side because she’s absolutely tone deaf.
“But my Dad was always a singer and from when I was seven onwards he used to put me on the stage in my primary school and make me sing. Then when I was at secondary school, I pretty much stopped singing for a few years.
“And then I picked up a guitar at 15 or 16 and that spurred me on again. And the rest is history as they say.”