A PONTYPOOL teenager who lost his father to cancer last year is keeping his dad’s singing dreams alive by performing at the Ryder Cup opening concert.
Russell Jones, 18, vows to carve a successful career out of performing following the tragic death of his father, a lawyer by day and musician by night also called Russell Jones, on Boxing Day last year.
The Sebastopol teenager is part of Only Boys Aloud, a Valleys male voice choir which performed at the National Eisteddfod opening ceremony in Ebbw Vale and will feature in the line-up for the Ryder Cup’s Welcome to Wales concert at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium - which his dad aspired to be a part of.
Mr Jones senior was diagnosed with liver cancer a year ago and died suddenly and unexpectedly last December following complications, aged 53, at the Velindre Hospital in Cardiff.
He regularly performed swing music, including Frank Sinatra songs, at nursing homes, hotels and weddings across Gwent and his son has now taken over his shows - while studying performing arts at Coleg Gwent’s Cross Keys campus.
“I love performing at nursing homes and seeing the smiles on their faces, you get such a good feeling,” he said.
He grew up listening to his father perform swing songs, learning Frank Sinatra songs while his friends were being taught nursery rhymes, and his grandfather, pianist Dave Jones, once performed with Shirley Bassey as part of the Dave Jones Four.
He was talent spotted by one of Only Boys Aloud’s organisers and trained for seven weeks ahead of the National Eisteddfod.
Mr Jones said he cannot wait to fulfil his father’s aim of appearing at the televised Ryder Cup concert with the 140-voice choir on September 29, also featuring Katherine Jenkins and Catherine Zeta Jones.
“It’s going to be amazing, my dad really wanted to perform at it and have a big band behind him,” he said.
His proud mother Claire Jones, 45, said: “My husband would be over the moon and I know he’s there with him."
“It’s lovely to have the sound of music and laughter in the house after everything
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