SINGER’S GARDEN PERFORMANCE AN INTERNET HIT:
FOSTER carer Dave Osborne from Runcorn in Cheshire has been lifting the spirits of his neighbours during lockdown by singing in his front garden.
However Dave got a much bigger audience than he anticipated when a video of his rendition of Labi Siffre’s 1987 hit Something Inside So Strong went viral on Facebook.
Dave, 49 - known locally for his ‘big heart’, said: “Since the video went live on social media I have received thousands of messages from people all over the UK thanking me for my support and for cheering them up.
“It’s a wonderful feeling doing something so positive for my community and people across the nation.
Dave is a foster carer for Fostering Solutions – a vocation prompted by his wife Tina and his brother who were both adopted.
He said: “We are currently fostering two six year old boys - it’s so rewarding making a child feel wanted and seeing them bloom and smile again.
“It’s at times of uncertainty like this that you realise just how important it is to take on a role like this.”
As a result of his debut performance going viral, Dave - who has been singing professionally for 30 years around the area, predominantly in the North West, North Wales and North Yorkshire - has been booked by a restaurant in Middlesbrough that is currently feeding key workers at the local hospital to sing a set for NHS staff on a special night to thank them when the lockdown is lifted. The restaurant owners are paying for a hotel for him to stay overnight.
Dave added: “I’m doing it to spread some positivity during this current crisis, to boost morale and spirits, and to say a big thank you to NHS staff and other key workers who are still going into work and risking their lives each day to keep the country going.”