Richey Edwards’ sister in BGT choir
THE sister of missing Manic Street Preachers guitarist Richey Edwards was part of the choir which had audiences in tears when it performed on popular TV show Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday.
The Missing People Choir left viewers and the show’s judges in tears by the end of their rendition of I Miss You, which was written to raise awareness of loved ones – some of whom have been missing for years.
As the choir finished the song, judge Alesha Dixon could be seen to whisper “Oh my God” while Amanda Holden blinked back tears.
All four judges immediately leapt to their feet.
Meanwhile, audience members could be seen with tears streaming down their faces.
Host Ant wiped tears from his eyes and Simon Cowell said: “I have to pay you absolute respect for what you have just done. Sometimes awareness is as important as anything else.”
The song was written by Peter Boxell, whose son Lee vanished after a football match in 1988.
Richey’s sister Rachel Elias said: “It was a privilege to sing. It was a visible and powerful sign to highlight and remember those who are missing.”
Richey, from Blackwood, was about to go on a US tour with the Blackwood-based Manics when he vanished from a London hotel on February 1, 1995.
His car was found abandoned near the Severn Bridge on February 17 that year and he was legally declared dead in 2008.
Other members of the choir include Peter Lawrence, whose daughter Claudia, 35, was reported missing on March 19, 2009, after failing to turn up for work as a chef in York.
The choir’s director James Hawkins said: “Britain’s Got Talent has enabled the choir to realise its true destiny and purpose.
“Through singing together on the programme, we are able to reach further than ever before in the search for the families’ missing loved ones.
“There are few greater platforms than this and it has given us hope.”