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It’s been seven years since Belinda O’Hooley (pictured) won the nation’s vote and swept to a memorable victory on the grand final of Stars in Their Eyes. But the popular singer-songwriter proved she hadn’t lost any of her Annie Lennox magic when she took a stroll down memory lane to recreate her success on the bill of L of a Tribute Night.
Following the success of L of a Nights in Leeds, Nottingham and Halifax, O’Hooley and her Freshly Squeezed partner Rhoda McClure opted for a show with a difference when they went on the road to Cardiff.
Inspired by O’Hooley’s TV success they invited some of the top lesbian acts around to help create their own version of the TV programme.
And first on the list was O’Hooley herself … with a little bit of a push from her friends.
‘Everyone assumed I would want to do it, but I hadn’t thought about it really,’ she said. ‘I’ve got used to being the compere on these nights and I hadn’t been Annie Lennox for such a long time. I’d put that to bed. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought “Oh, go on then.”.’
O’Hooley won the Stars in Their Eyes 2001grand final and before deciding to do her own thing, she did spend a season performing a tribute act.
‘The last time I was Annie was in the Costa del Sol a year after the show. L of a Tribute Night brought back memories for me. It was actually really easy to just fall back in to her shoes – but I couldn’t fit into her clothes!’
O’Hooleyhad previously joked she would go on a no-food diet in an attempt to get into the famous tartan suit. She may not have managed the clothes, but she did manage the hair, getting rid of her Robert Redford locks and becoming a closely cropped red head.
‘I enjoyed the whole process, even going to the hairdresser. My girlfriend Heidi said “You have to go the whole hog and enter into the spirit.” Madness just took over!’
But the new look wasn’t a hit with everyone, especially some of the elderly residents at the homes where 36-year-old O’Hooleysings. ‘It’s been a shock. I went to work and there were gasps of horror! Some thought I was an abomination. I look like a six foot Belisha beacon!’
The tribute night at the St David’s Hall was another massive success for Freshly Squeezed. Joining O’Hooleyon the bill were Greymatter as the Indigo Girls; Tara Simms as Melissa Etheridge; Geekgirl as Tegan and Sara; and Al Start as kd lang.
It was Start who stormed to victory - but she did have a little help from her old pal O’Hooley. Start decided to recreate kd’s performance of Crying with Roy Orbison – played by O’Hooley! It was a masterstroke with the duo providing the comic highpoint of the night.
‘It was Al’s idea,’ explained O’Hooley. ‘She emailed me and asked if I would be Roy Orbison and I emailed right back and said “Yes!” We hadn’t practised it at all until the soundcheck at 6pm on the night. And then Al changed it all, who sang what, and I was a bit confused!’
But their performance crowned a fabulous night. ‘I thought it was fantastic, the best one we’ve done. Being Annie Lennox, I could just let rip. For me, not being stuck behind a piano was great. Everyone took the whole night seriously because it was another L of a Night. We have set a benchmark and everyone who does an L of a Night does a sterling job.’
So what’s next for the Freshly Squeezed ladies? Well, O’Hooley is playing her cards close to her chest: ‘All I can say is there will be something happening in the autumn and it will be a surprise. You’ll think it’s one thing and it will be another!’
Julie Gibson
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