Andy Abraham

It's been an incredible year for Andy Abraham. After winning the hearts of 9 million ITV viewers on last year's X Factor, his first album, The Impossible Dream made chart history by selling 176,689 copies in its first week, and has since reached platinum status.

"It's been amazing; I've got so much to look forward to," he says enthusiastically.

Forty-two year old Andy's 'Unforgettable' tour saw him performing as a headliner in his own right for the first time.

"At the beginning it was pretty daunting because on the X Factor tour I had the other guys to rely on, but it is all working out fantastically - better than I could have hoped for. The way the actual show itself has been set out leaves people wanting more, and the fans are absolutely loving it according to the feedback I have been getting. It's very difficult to take in that it's just me."

Although pipped to the first place by Shayne Ward, Andy is the first and only 2005 X Factor contestant to release a second album. The album, Soul Man is a collection of Motown hits made famous by greats such as Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Lionel Richie and Smokey Robinson, and suits Andy's smooth voice perfectly. Of course the legendary tracks have universal appeal, but there is also a personal reason for his choice of tracks.

"My mum introduced me to Motown and other music from the '60s. By the time the '70s came, I was into music through her so a lot of the songs on the album are the ones I grew up. They are favourite songs, music I, my mum and my family played and the end songs that I listen to when I am on my own."

His mother is not the only family member to have had a profound impact on his musical career. If it wasn't for his wife, Andy would never have been on the show that made him famous.

"It was actually my wife who sent in the application for X Factor, with a forged signature so she obviously felt strongly enough to do that. It was a catalyst of events that led me to being where I am but I suppose the rest was down to me. You need influence from somewhere and the best place to get it from is from your family, and once you've left the cradle of your family you look for good influence from people outside."

Such influence came from X Factor's Sharon Osbourne, Andy's mentor and the lady who still gives him the odd piece of advice.

"Every so often I hear from her, but we are both busy at the moment as well, and she has enough on her plate, she doesn't need me badgering her every five minutes. She's got a lot to deal with, especially with the next X Factor contestants."

Despite being on tour Andy has managed to watch some of this year's X Factor and thinks there are some good singers.

"They seem like good guys and to have the same standard of singing, though I'm not so sure if there are as many characters as there were with our lot!"

Besides Soul Man, Andy also has a charity single out in run up to Christmas released in conjunction with Barnardo's and the morning TV show, GMTV. He and Michael Underwood, Entertainment Today presenter, sing December Brings Me Back To You together to take on the challenge of the highly coveted Christmas number one.

""The fact that I've got the chance to do something and put something back into my community is great. We need to think about people who are less fortunate than us. I'm one of the lucky ones, coming out of the X Factor show."

"Mike and I get on so well, and obviously I know Ben from X Factor because he also presents GMTV and ITV2's XTra Factor. We've had the guys from Metrophonic help write the track and put it together, so it has been made to sound very nostalgic."

"A number 1 might be pushing the boat out I think but of course it would be brilliant because more money would go to the kids at Barnados. I would be happy with a number two though - number two's been great for me so far!"

With a tour in Ireland scheduled for early next year, Andy's feet will hardly touch the ground, but after he hopes to develop his musical style and start writing his own songs.

"I've written some songs but at the present moment it's all about me, Andy Abraham the singer coming out of the show and developing my own vocal style. It's great that I get the chance to do songs I love, but at the same time, eventually, as an artist I need to get creative and find my own niche."

Soul Man is available at all good record stores or you can purchase it online at Amazon.

By Cherry Butler

Related Links

Britain's Eurovision Decision: Andy Abraham has been crowned as the UK's 2008 Eurovision Song Contest representative.

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