Rob Russell Davies: The Singers

I've been very lucky in finding a group of singers who really make my songs come to life. All different, but all very good, these talented people have always backed me up 100%, and I thank you all for that. Ladies first...

Naomi Murray

I first met Naomi just after she'd appeared on ITV's 'Stars in Their Eyes / Kids', winning her heat and appearing in the final. She soon won the 'Wharfdale Musical Festival' in Leeds for the second time and went on to take the first prize on Yorkshire's 'Real Radio's R Factor' singing competition. She's been interviewed a number of times on Real Radio and is highly thought of by the DJ's and staff at the station.

As well as being a great singer, Naomi's studied acting and dance at college and has recently been showing off her talents in the Upstagers Theatre Group's productions, who perform at The Kings Hall, Ilkley and the Alhambra Theatre in Bradford. So far she's had lead parts in 'Les Miserables', 'The King and I', 'The Wiz' and the Pantomime 'Sinbad'. She's also been booked as a dancer for street / show events and night-clubs in Leeds, Barnsley and all over the Yorkshire area.

Showing even more versatility, Naomi's has just recorded the vocals and written the lyrics for a dance track called 'Promises' with DJ / Producer Luke Pompey. The single is due for release soon. At the moment she's sailing the high seas working for Thomson cruises visiting cities like Venice, Istanbul, Dubrovnik in Croatia and the Greek Islands. Although singing, dancing and acting as part of the ship's entertainment crew, she's now been asked to do her own cabaret spot and to host special events.

Considering that's she's just 20, I'm sure you'll agree that she's done a lot in a few years! I forgot to ask Naomi who her favourite singers were before she went sailing down the Adriatic, but I know she does have a soft spot for Nora Jones, Katie Melua and Amy Winehouse while also liking music from theatre, jazz, pop all the way to dance. As I mentioned earlier, her favourite song of mine is 'Turn Around' but she also likes 'Let Me Find Peace' which gave us that fantastic weekend in Tipperary / Ireland.

Thanks for your help, talent and friendship so far Naomi, and I hope you get all the breaks you deserve!

Beth Wheatley

Beth is currently the lead singer with 10 piece function and charity soul band 'Morris And The Minors'. To my shame, I've never actually seen this brilliant and much in demand group, but have heard so much about them. I don't know what you think, but for me the sound of a full rhythm section, live brass, and a powerful girl singer out front takes some beating!

In the past, Beth's gone out as a solo singer in clubs and cabaret venues in the north of England, has won many talent competitions in the UK, and was once a finalist in the 'Song for Great Britain contest' which chooses Britain's entry for Eurovision. She has a powerful voice which really works well on soul, blues and rock, although she's equally at home with ballads and show songs.

A good ear for music is a gift and a huge advantage in the recording studio where time is often limited. I've often had Beth doing harmonies to songs she's never even heard before!... just show her what to do a few times, and she'll get the job done. When it comes to lead vocals she always turns up knowing the melody and timing, in spite of me giving her my usual wonky guide vocal tracks to learn from. That's a huge plus as it leaves time to get on with the feel and character of a song, rather than spending time learning it in the studio.

One of the biggest thrills I've had in my songwriting career was when Beth and Naomi (Murray) first blended together in the duet 'Let Me Find Peace'. A definite goose-bumps moment! To then take both of them, family and friends to Tipperary / Ireland and have such a successful and fun time was a memory never to be forgotten.

Some of Beth's favourite artists are Aretha Franklin and Christina Aguilera and so far her favourite song of mine is 'Turn Around'. Her little boy's favourite is 'Show Me What You've got'... he loves the way his mum does jazz and blues, although Beth's mum disagrees and prefers 'Damascus Road'. (I haven't a clue if dad has a favourite?! - please let me know Beth!)

So thanks for your talent and enthusiasm Beth, and I look forward to making lots more music with you in the future.

Lee Clifford

Originally from South Africa and married to ex-'Wozani' member Graham Clifford (see biography), Lee is a natural singer with a terrific ear for music. With Graham, she toured around South Africa and the UK for a few years gigging in pubs, clubs and cabaret venues as the duo 'Foot-C Foot-C'. Their version of 'These Boots Were Made For Walking' reached the top of the South African charts.

Lee's now back in South Africa and can be seen gigging around in venues around Johannesburg. She's also much in demand at the local studios.

Have a listen to her on some of my tunes including 'I'm Over You', 'Shine', Postcard From The Bush' and 'Words You Didn't Say'.

Craig Michael

A friend for many years, I first met Craig in the mid 90s when he became a fellow Jumpin Jaks 'Duelling pianist' and was quick to realise what an excellent singer and musician he is. Classically trained on piano, he has a great ear for music and a sweet and natural tone to his voice which he uses to effortlessly hit all the right notes.

Craig has a great track record. So far, he's backed and worked with Tony Christie, Bernard Manning, Edwin Starr and Gerard Kenny to name a few. He's played on ship cruises travelling to Greece, Spain, Denmark, Sweden and beyond. Back in the 90s, he put in a stint in some of the best known piano bars in Norway. The Norwegians, of course, love their piano bars and many British piano player / singers end up working over there!

Last year, when it became obvious that nightclub chain Jumpin Jaks were moving away from the Duelling Pianos idea, Craig and I decided to rehash and keep it going in the Club / Cabaret and Pub circuit in the north of Engand. We've called ourselves Rob 'n Craig's Incredible Duelling Pianos, have thrown in quite a few fun tunes like The Duelling Banjos from the movie Deliverance / Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell and lots of piano-based party songs, and so far the audiences are getting right behind us. Of course, both of us also still go out as solo performers, and Craig got a big boost last year when he received a great review in Showcall - the prestigious showcase that's run by Equity's Stage Magazine here in the UK.

Some of his favourite artists are Ben Folds, Rufus Wainwright, Ennio Morricone and Stevie Wonder. His favourite song of mine is 'Let Me Find Peace' and his favourite that he sings lead on is 'Haunted Eyes'. Out of all the singers that frequent the studio, Craig probably swears at me more than any other, although Naomi's got to be a close second! (Although she does it more under her breath). His nickname is 'Trigger' after the well-known drinker at the 'Nags Head' pub in the UK's favourite sitcom Only Fools and Horses, who keeps getting one of the lead characters names wrong. In Craig's case, we stayed at a B & B in Lincoln on quite a few occasions in the Jumpin Jaks days before he finally got the owners name right!

Thanks for your talent and help so far Craig... And don't forget... write Rob Russell Davies on the cheque!

Aiden J Daniels

I remember first hearing Aiden's vocal talents when he used to get up at our Jam sessions at the Harvesters Pub in Bramley Leeds back in the Jester Turtle / Wozani days. The song that he loved doing and was always requested by the audience was 'Desperado' by The Eagles... and he did a cracking version of that. Aiden is actually Tim Delaney's brother, who was my partner in the duo Sample This, so we've always kept in contact and sort of bumped into each other from time to time.

However, it's in the last 10 years or so that Aiden's really got stuck into his stage ambitions and built a very impressive career. He divides his talents and time between country music and comedy. As country singer Aiden J Daniels he's appeared at many of the big UK festivals including 'Americana', 'The Great North Country Music Festival' and 'The Pickering Festival' and is even running his own festival called 'The West Leeds Country Music Roundup'. Recently he's put together his own backing band to tour the country music venues and festivals.

But Aiden has another string to his bow. Going out as funny-man Aiden Jay, he's been getting around the world doing comedy on ships like P & O's 'Artemis' sailing down the eastern seaboard of the USA, and the 'Oceania' visiting Islands in the Caribbean. On land he's kept people laughing in Rhodes, Tenerife and Lanzarote to name a few. During his travels he's worked with other great UK funny men including Roy Walker and Jim Davidson.

Aiden did a great vocal on 'Give It A Minute' and of course also travelled to Ireland with me in 2003 to perform the song at the peace festival. Another song that I wrote especially for him, which so far hasn't featured on any of my CD's is 'Big Hearted Guy'. Now Aiden's a big fella and uses his size to send himself up in the act. Like his poster says... 'larger than life'. 'Big Hearted Guy' has a country / latino feel to it a` la 'The Mavericks' and the words are especially written to introduce Aiden to the audience. The chorus goes:

'Well I'm big in the way I look
I'm big on my style
I'm big on my friends out there
I'm big on their smiles
I'm big and tough and know how to crush little minds
'Cause I'm big enough...
To be a big-hearted guy'

Chatting today on the phone, Aiden was telling me that he's still using the song to bring himself on-stage in both his comedy and country spots... great to see an original song getting played around the world a bit! Being no lightweight myself (insert funny comment here - I know you want to!), I must confess to using the song to add a lighthearted element to the night when I'm out doing some of the original songs.

So thanks for sharing your talent so far with me Aiden, and all the best for the future!

John Mycroft


I first met John and future wife Karen when we were doing the demo CD for my musical 'The Garden Of Eden' back in 1994. They're both brilliant singers, and John knocked me out with his great voice, vocal range and a total professionalism in the studio. Karen and John have gigged all over the world as the duo 'Aztec' with long stints in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the Middle East, in Germany, the USA and of course in cabaret venues and clubs here in the UK.

So far, John has sung lead vocals on 'Blanket Of Love', 'Gumboots' and the acoustic / folk version of 'The Tipperary Song' where he also added a great acoustic guitar. His favourite bands are Steely Dan and the Eagles. Karen tells me that the most fun he's ever had with one of my songs is when he and Johnny Martell (another great singer based in Leeds) got up on stage to do a live version of a duet from 'The Garden of Eden' called 'The Bittersweet Compromise'. I remember they did a great job, especially as it's not an easy song to sing... lot's of words and harmonies! Oh, and Karen's also asked that 'Turn Around' goes down on record as her favourite song of mine.

Tim Delaney

I first came across 'wor lad' back in the 'Wozani' / 'Jester Turtle' days (see biography) when he was on drums and vocals on Sunday jam night. That was a kind of a free for all and anything could happen... and usually did! Later we formed 'Sample This', and in recent years Tim's moved back to his country roots. He was in one of the UK's top country duo's - 'Squirell Tooth Alice' and is currently the drummer / singer with award winning band 'Wrangler'. With a rich bass voice not a million miles away from Chris Rea, Tim's the man for the low bits!