I had it all. Then realised I didn’t want it
Tipped singer snubbed high life to go back to his first love
After ditching a £1million recording contract to make it to the top his own way, he had to rely on the help of a vital charity for musicians.
Now, a year after falling off his bicycle and sustaining serious injuries, he is back in the saddle to raise funds for Help Musicians UK, who have supported him for a second time.
He said: “About a year ago, I was in London, where I live, and I was cycling to the gym.
“I ricocheted off a taxi and landed on my face. It was horrible. I have permanent numbness on some of the left side.”
Nicky, 33, was raised in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, by his mum Annabel.
He secured a place at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London when he was just 17.
He was tipped for stardom after signing a lucrative five-record album deal, toured with Shirley Bassey and Katherine Jenkins and was living the high life in London.
But he turned his back on the pop side of music to return to Guildhall and hone his skills.
He said: “I knew it was all style and no substance. I was surrounded by people who say yes all the time.
“I knew I had to do more training and, when I was offered the chance
It was all style and no substance – I knew I had to go back and do more training
to go back to Guildhall, it was quite a coup.”
He was 21 when he was welcomed back to the famous music school.
Nicky said: “I was very lucky. But it was back to baked beans and very hard work. Help Musicians UK helped me then too.
“I spent eight years singing in halls with no amplification and singing in different languages.
“There is something so visceral about the music and I really believe it’s like an art form.”
Nicky, who has made his debut at New York’s Metropolitan, is one of the most respected tenors of his generation. So when he was knocked off his bicycle, he feared about the impact on his career.
He said: “I was in pain and unable to work and I missed out on jobs. I was putting on weight and the accident put me out of action.
“I felt the problem of not being able to be fit. Cycling was one of my main forms of cardio exercise. I felt a bit depressed. I did look a bit like the elephant man for a month. But being in that position is why I was thinking of putting something back.”
And he wants to encourage others to pursue their dreams, even if there are obstacles in front.
He said: “I would not be where I am without having had help throughout my studies. It can be a lonely career sometimes and we really have to look after ourselves. If you are ill, you don’t get paid so it can be anxiety ridden.
“The charity become vital. I’ve known colleagues who have had
cancer or who, like me, were forced to take time out. That’s when Help Musicians UK kick in.
“If you get to that top level – and that’s only about two per cent of people – you are travelling all the time and there’s a lot of pressure. It’s important to be fit and functional.”
Nicky has enlisted help from other stars from the world of opera to cycle the length of the UK to raise £25,000 in aid of Help Musicians UK.
The team will cycle from Glasgow to London, starting at the Scottish Opera headquarters and f inishing at the London Coliseum, on July 31.
He said: “Part of me felt like a failure when I left my contract. I thought, ‘I’m not going to be on Lorraine Kelly any more. People would come up and tell me they saw me on This Morning and, to me, that was recognition.
“But I knew it didn’t matter. It was worthwhile to do it my way and build up my career the way I wanted to.
“The fast-track to fame is not what real success is and I knew it wouldn’t last.”
As well as his mum Annabel, Nicky counts his partner and fellow opera singer Timothy Connor among his biggest fans.
The couple met seven years ago during a British Youth Opera production in which Nicky played the lead.
He said: “He was travelling on stage in a rickshaw. Seven years later, we are still together.
“He keeps me grounded. He was there for my debut at the Metropolitan with my mum. It was a piece called Two Boys, which was a cyber crime drama, and I was playing a 60-year-old man.”
Despite gruelling rehearsals and complex languages to master, Nicky still manages to have fun.
He said: “Every language has a very specific f lavour. I get employed to do Slavic pieces and I’ve performed in Czech. Often the stories are quite miserable but they are very truthful and the text is where the drama is.
“Life is too short to not have any life at all. Most operatic singers are probably always ready for a good night out.
“But you do have to look after yourself. Your voice is your instrument and you have to be careful.”