A gem of a singer from Wrexham is proving to be a smash – with 17,000 hits for her latest number on YouTube.
When things get a little quiet in the Pandora jewellery store at Eagles Meadow shopping centre the sales staff often call on their colleague Kellyann Wight to give them a song.
And the chirpy 27-year-old is always happy to oblige because she’s been belting out tunes for as long as she can remember.
Her vocal skills have seen her reach the auditions stage of TV talent show the X-Factor a couple of times and her cover version of hit pop number is racking up the hits on YouTube.
Kellyann, who is expecting her first baby in November, said: “Pandora is a really busy shop but sometimes when we’re between customers the girls, who all know I’m a singer, ask me if I’ll do a song for them. I don’t take much persuading and just give them a few bars because I absolutely love to sing at any opportunity.”
She has done a range of jobs since leaving school, including working on a supermarket checkout and helping out in the ticket office and on the rides at Alton Towers.
She had a couple of years as a sales assistant at a cosmetics shop in the town centre but found herself without work when it closed down and she was made redundant.
Luckily, she walked virtually straight into the sales job at Pandora 18 month ago.
Kellyann has been singing since she was little so it was natural for her to put her talent to the test for the first time on the X-Factor when she was just 15 years old.
“I got through the first lot of auditions doing some ballady-type stuff by Delta Goodrem but, unfortunately, didn’t make it on to the programme itself – although I did appear on screen when they filmed us all in the waiting area,” she recalled.
“I auditioned again for the show about a year ago but although they seemed impressed with me I didn’t get very far. I think it was because there were so many great girl singers to choose from.
“To be honest I didn’t really enjoy doing it a second time. The first time I auditioned everyone was treated really well but on the second occasion I got the feeling it was all a bit less personal.”
Still determined to bring her singing to the attention of a wider audience, Kellyann decided to produce her own videos and put them up on YouTube.
Filming everything at home on her laptop, she’s uploaded over 30 numbers in the past few years and the one which has caused the biggest stir is a four-minute cover version of the Rickleback hit Remind Me.
“Up to now it’s had almost 17,000 hits which is fantastic and gives me plenty of encouragement to keep on singing,” Kellyann said.
“I’m still uploading the videos but not as many as I used to because I’m concentrating more on my family life.
“I got married to my husband Elwood, who is 25, two years ago and we’re expecting our first baby this November, which we’d really like to be a boy.
“I’m going to keep on doing the YouTube videos and we’re hoping to move into a bigger house where I can have my own small recording studio. Elwood’s going to help with everything because he’s a musician too and plays all sorts of instruments.”
She added: “My ambition is to be a professional singer one day and to write my own songs like Katy Perry who is my hero because everything she does is unique.
“All the girls at Pandora like to hear my sing in the shop. It’s usually alone but there was one amazing occasion recently when an Elvis tribute act came in and we did a quick duet.”
Eagles Meadow manager Kevin Critchley said: “It never ceases to amaze me how many talented people we have working here at the shopping centre.
“Kellyann has a lovely voice and it’s a real treat to hear her sing.”
You can watch Kellyann perform her popular version of Nickleback’s Remind Me on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ueMxrnklW0 and her other videos can be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/user/kellyannroberts/videos
