R.I.P. TOY MIC TREV
TREVOR REES, who became known as Toy Mic Trev throughout South Wales for his singing performances on Cardiff’s Queen Street, has died.
The busking legend, who was a fixture on the street for many years, passed away on Tuesday morning. He was 80.
His close friends and neighbours described him as “a gentle soul” who loved his late wife Mo, and a “lovely, lovely man”.
It is four months since he made an emotional return to the street, 10 years or so after he last sang there. A month or so later, he returned again.
He was known as Toy Mic Trev because of the distinctive children’s toy microphone with which he would entertain the public from his regular spot.
Having last been seen there in about 2007, many people assumed he had already passed away. But earlier this year, as reported in the Echo, we discovered he was living in Pentre, in the Rhondda.
He was delighted to have been found and overwhelmed by the reaction to his story. There was an unprecedented outpouring of love and joy for the singer. The tale quickly took on a life of its own with readers sharing their memories of the little man with the big voice.
There was one constant request among the thousands of comments and that was for Trev to make a return for one last farewell. So we asked the crooner, who celebrated his 80th birthday in March, if he would be willing to revisit his old haunt for an impromptu performance.
Happily he agreed. We took him back and people loved him. Trev told us at the time: “It means so much to me that people remembered me and enjoyed my songs. I couldn’t believe the reaction. I haven’t stopped smiling.”
Such was Trevor’s fame in the city where he sang between the late 1990s and around 2007, he once featured in an exhibition of Cardiff greats, was a special guest on the Dick and Dom Show and in 2001 opened up Radio 1’s One Big Weekend concerts in the city. As well as students, he was also hugely popular with children.
Trev’s life wasn’t without its share of setbacks and sadness. His twin brother passed away from dementia and his younger brother took his own life. Losing Mo, the woman who was his rock and who would often accompany him on his busking trips to Cardiff, to cancer in 2011 hit him hard.
Ray Hallaran, a good friend and neighbour of Trevor, said: “He was such a kind and loving chap. He was a gentle soul. He wouldn’t argue with anybody and you’d never see him get angry. And no one had a bad word to say about him.
“I used to sing in bands when I was younger and he loved to talk to me about music. He’d tell me about his heroes, all the old crooners like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. He was a nice man and nice to be around. A very caring man who always asked how you were.
“I’ll miss his singing and his sense of humour. He was always laughing. It was always a pleasure to see him. He was just one of those genuine people, you were drawn to him.
“He loved his wife Mo, she was such a character. The only comfort I can take is that they’re now together and Trev is now serenading once again.”