‘Music helped me to have an outlet after my brother died’
AFTER wowing The Voice judges on Saturday night and bagging a spot on Sir Tom Jones’ team, singer Jade Williams has opened up about her mesmerising audition and how it feels to be teaming up with Sir Tom.
Jade, 32, a part-time music teacher and musician, sang Semisonic’s Secret Smile on the ITV show – before she bagged a spot on Sir Tom’s team. The singer, who hails from Cefn Coed in Merthyr Tydfil, will now compete in the battle rounds of the show in a few weeks.
Before the audition, Jade said she was always meant to sing and, after the death of her beloved brother Reuben, she was determined to follow that dream. She said: “I grew up in South Wales, and I ended up living at my grandmother’s eventually because the piano was there.
“I was always on it so I was known as piano girl, even in primary school. I first figured I wanted to get into a specialist music school when I was about nine.
“From 10 to about 13/14, I worked my butt off to get there and I got a full scholarship. The path that was put out in front of me was to be an opera singer but my heart and my head was saying, ‘I want be a rock star, I want to sing my own words.’ but I don’t think I had enough guts to do that because I didn’t want to disappoint anyone.
“During that time, unfortunately, my brother died and it was very apparent that life was very short so it gave me the courage to go forward and do what I really wanted to do.”
Reuben Morgan was 15 when he drowned after going swimming in a reservoir in 2006. The Cyfarthfa High School pupil had been camping at Pontsticill Reservoir when a he and a group of friends decided to go swimming in the hot weather.
“He was out with his friends in summer time, they ended up going in the reservoir and not realising the risks”, Jade said. “Reuben didn’t make it. I know his friends tried to save him and they risked their lives doing that.”
Reuben’s death hit Jade hard. At the time, she had been awarded a full scholarship to the London College of Music, but didn’t finish her course.
“It completely shattered my world, everything halted for me. I actually questioned everything, questioned who I was, and that’s why I stopped doing music – which is crazy, because if you know me, it’s something I would never do.”
Getting back into music helped Jade, who went to St John the Baptist School in Aberdare but is currently living in Brentford.
She said: “It helped me have an outlet. It’s like a catalyst almost, you can relay things through song. Music is so important to me. I’ve been drawn to it. It is what I am. I am a musician. To do it until the day I die and nothing else.”
Accompanied by her grandmother Marianne Watkins, Jade sailed through her audition on The Voice on Saturday.
All four judges were impressed by Jade’s rendition of her chosen song, but it was Welshman Sir Tom who turned around, saying he was waiting for a Welsh contestant to appear on the show.
He said: “That was a beautiful song and you sang it beautifully. I just could not keep my hand off that button because you were too good not to be on this show.”
Jade has now teamed up with the Welsh judge.
“For me, in my mind, it was between Jennifer Hudson and Tom”, Jade said. “And then, obviously Tom turned around so that was absolutely perfect.”
And is she happy with being on Sir Tom’s team?
“Definitely,” she said with excitement in her voice. “I figured he’s somebody that’s had a career and will probably keep going.”