On Monday 31st March former pupil Colin Billyard (LGS 1964) was privileged to have been chosen to take part in a backing choir of 50 to record a new song at Abbey Road Studios, London. The song “Road Signs” won an international competition “Talent is Timeless” for the over 50s age group.
Colin says “We recorded in Studio 2, the studio in which the Beatles recorded most of their output. It was a surreal experience to be using headphones and mics in the same space as the fab four!
The corridors were lined with photos of music legends including Abba, Adele, Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennet, Amy Winehouse, Edward Elgar, Mick Jagger, Elton John, Oasis, Queen, Taylor Swift, to name just a very few! There was a strict “no photographs” policy throughout!”
Colin’s musical career was fostered at LGS where he performed in school productions of Galileo and the very successful Pirates of Penzance under the tutelage of the then music master John Moore and was one of the first major productions to be played in the new Hodson Hall.
Whilst pursuing a career as a PE teacher and subsequently lecturer in Sport, Recreation and Leisure he maintained a sideline as a musician singing and playing in restaurants, bars and nightclubs, and performing in several bands. A highlight was as co-presenter of a Granada TV production of Hold Tight, an eighties children’s gameshow filmed at Alton Towers and broadcast every Thursday on ITV. Under his stage name of Colin Crispen he presented with Pauline Black of the Ska band The Selecter. The programme featured many famous musical acts including Depeche Mode, Shakin’ Stevens, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, Toyah, and a host of other then famous musical acts variously featured on Top of the Pops.
In 1974 Colin won the BBC Radio 2 Young Composer of the Year competition and followed it up 49 years later with a win in the King Lear Prize for Music competition judged by Julian Lloyd-Weber. He has now entered five original songs into this year’s Talent is Timeless competition and hopes to be visiting Abbey Road again next year!
Colin was also a keen rugby player having captained Leicestershire Schoolboys U15 side, represented the Midlands in a further England schoolboys trial, captained Goldsmiths’ College, London University in 1966, and subsequently played for Guildford and Godalming and finally Petersfield Rugby Club when he played his last game at the age of 64.
Colin now lives in Denmead, Hampshire with his wife Pamela, and has two children and four grandchildren.
