Funk rocker Ella goes on the record
SHE won the hearts of X Factor judges and contestants – and now plucky youngster Ella Chadwick has been impressing none other than music producer Mark Ronson.
Eight-year-old Ella, whose life was saved by a kidney transplant in 2014, was invited to work in a London recording studio with the man behind the mega hit Uptown Funk.
Her dream of making music came true thanks to the children’s charity Rays of Sunshine.
They arranged for Ella to work with the singer-songwriter on a new and unique version of Uptown Funk, his collaboration with Bruno Mars which was the best selling song in the UK last year.
The music-loving youngster, from Whitworth, impressed Mark, who co-produced albums for Lily Allen and the late Amy Winehouse, with her singing skills and the Valerie hitmaker invited her to play the piano with him on the track which will be made into a CD as a keepsake of her once-in-a-lifetime experience.
She also received a signed LP of Uptown Funk.
Her proud mum Karen Hughes, 35, said: “Ella was telling him what to do at times and he is a perfectionist and a professional.
“He was really good with Ella and the other children invited to take part in the recording session.
“He told her ‘you are one of the strongest singers.’
“She had such a good time she was upset when it was time to go home. She loves her music.”
Last year Ella was invited on a VIP tour of the X Factor, where she hobnobbed with the likes of ex judges Nick Grimshaw, Rita Ora and Cheryl and sang with her favourite contestants after being invited by Rays of Sunshine, which grants wishes to children with serious illnesses.
She sang her favourite song, Don’t Stop Believin’, for the judges, as well as joining her favourite act 4th Impact in a chorus of Let it Go from Frozen.
She performed for head judge Simon Cowell and he told her ‘she’s the winner’.
Singer Rita was moved to tears after meeting Ella and the youngster asked Cheryl to do a selfie with her.
Ella was chosen to take part in these memorable experiences along with a few other children in recognition of her brave battle with health problems.
She suffers with the rare congenital nephrotic syndrome and had both her kidneys removed when she was a toddler.
After numerous operations and spending much of her young life in hospital, she received a kidney from her grandmother Christina Chadwick and has since gone from strength to strength, taking her first steps last summer.
She now attends school every day and has enjoyed food such as Easter eggs - previously off limits due to her strict diet.
And she was an honorary starter of this year’s Morrisons Great Manchester Mini Run last month.