Don’t tell me I can’t…
Think your fifties isn’t the time to start something new? Jude Adams doesn’t agree…
release an album!
Hearing my song on the radio, I could burst with pride. Like most singers on the scene now, you might think I’m a freshfaced twenty-something – but I’m a 57-year-old from Kent. I’ve worked at gyms and in health clubs – and now, I’ve released my first album…
Growing up, I loved to sing. But I was too shy to join a choir or a band, so I sang in my bedroom. I’d close the door, turn up the volume on my record player and sing along to Dusty Springfield and The Beatles.
Aged 18, I went to university, where I studied sports. But while my friends would sing along to songs on the dance floor, I’d simply clap along in the corner.
After graduating, I got a job in the fitness industry running a gym. And over the years, I worked my way up, becoming the head of HR for a chain of health clubs. But my love of singing was still a closely guarded secret – that is, until I met my partner, Marg, in April 1999, and we moved in together.
She’d hear me belting out my favourite Blondie songs in the shower, or humming along to Fleetwood Mac as I did the washing up. But when she bought me vouchers for singing lessons for my birthday, I flatly refused. The idea of singing in front of someone else – even a teacher – filled me with dread.
Only, in January 2009, with my 50th birthday approaching, something inside of me snapped. Nothing made me feel as happy as singing did. I knew that if I didn’t pursue my talent now, I’d live to regret it.
So I went along to singing lessons. There was a knot in my stomach as the teacher asked me to perform some vocal exercises. But as soon as I sung my first note, I felt my shoulders ease with relief. Performing in front of someone wasn’t scary – it was fun – and when she said I had a beautiful voice, my confidence was boosted.
Buoyed by the experience, I signed up to workshops, and even started performing in local bars, cheered on by my family and friends.
Only then, in June 2011, I began experiencing strange symptoms. I was so tired, my body ached and I had vertigo. I was so exhausted that I had to stop working. And after going backwards and forwards to the doctor, I was finally diagnosed with ME – chronic fatigue syndrome.
With no cure, it was difficult to come to terms with my diagnosis, so a counsellor suggested I write a journal. Every day, I scribbled down my feelings, and over time, I couldn’t help but notice they sounded like song lyrics. When I suggested to Marg that I put my words to music, she agreed.
So I did a 12-week online songwriting course. I loved it so much that, by the end of it, I’d set myself a goal – I was going to release a record. Perhaps it sounds crazy – by then, I was in my fifties and battling health issues – but I knew I was talented. I couldn’t let my talent go to waste.
So using contacts I’d made along the way, I contacted a producer who agreed to help me. As I began writing more songs, she helped with arrangements and organising recording sessions. When I first stood in a recording booth, I felt the tears well in my eyes. The producer even put me in touch with a company that helped independent artists like me produce and distribute CDS. It wasn’t cheap, but I had enough savings to help me achieve my dream.
I finished recording my album, This Girl, This Woman, a mix of soulful pop with a 60s twist, in December 2015, and it was released nine months later. It’s been a slow process but as people from across the world buy my record, and my songs get played on the radio and I see them on itunes and Spotify, I feel so proud.
Now, I’m already writing my next album. I hope I’m showing that no matter what your goal, you can achieve it. I’m proof that you can make your dreams come true at any age.
‘I couldn’t let my talent go to waste’