A young singer is hoping to show that she’s got the X Factor when she takes part in auditions for the smash hit television show at Swansea’s Quadrant Shopping Centre this weekend.
Grace Parry, from Swansea, has been a TV regular – the 21-year-old from Blackpill works as a receptionist at the Llansamlet call centre featured on BBC 3 – but she’s hoping to be centre stage after Sunday’s tryouts.
Grace will be going along to the auditions at the Quadrant Centre between 10am and 3pm when the show’s producers are promising to listen to everyone who turns up.
She has been working at Save Britain Money Ltd, fronted by the larger than life Nev Wilshire, for two years but admits she is rarely seen other than in the background.
She is hoping that her music will now get her more attention after singing professionally in the pubs and clubs around Swansea for the past 12 months.
Grace said: “It’s brilliant that the auditions are coming to Swansea because there is plenty of talent here and it gives us a chance to show that.
“I have been playing the piano and writing music for a long time but I only started singing by accident because I was too shy.
“We were on holiday a couple of years ago and I got up to sing at a karaoke night and my mum and dad were really shocked but dad said my voice was really good and that encouraged me because I’d been too scared to sing before.
“I have started singing in a few places around Swansea and I love it now. I’m often at Verve and Garbo’s and sing mainly R’n’B, older stuff by people like Marvin Gaye and I Heard It Through The Grapevine is one of my most popular songs.
“I have an alto voice and write my own songs as well and they’re more like ballads and taken from personal experience, love songs and things like that but I do love performing.
“I’m passionate about it and my mum and dad, Phil and Claire Parry, have been really supportive. I think it has given me more confidence.
“The best thing is when other people relate to your own songs and hopefully that will happen on Sunday – it would be incredible to get through and go all the way.
X Factor researcher Louie Lancaster said: “The X-Factor has never had a Welsh winner but I’m sure there is plenty of talent out there and especially in Swansea which has a fantastic musical tradition.
“This is the city that produced Bonnie Tyler and the late great Harry Secombe so we’re hoping to unearth talent like that.
“We have been touring the country and finding lots of really great performers and I’m sure we’ll find some more at the Quadrant.”
Quadrant Shopping Centre Manager Ian Kirkpatrick said: “It’s a very musical weekend in the Quadrant with the Harmony Choir there on Saturday afternoon followed by the X Factor auditions.
“Swansea people love music and the city has some very talented singers and I’m sure we’ll have a great turnout for Sunday.”
The auditions will take place in a unit at the Quadrant Centre beween 10am and 3pm and the show’s producers are promising to listen to everyone who turns up.
For a chance to hear Grace Parry sing go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC5te64HkK4
For more on what’s happening at the Quadrant Shopping Centre go to http://www.quadrantshopping.co.uk
