4:51pm Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Mhairi Macfarlane
AN aspiring singer wowed the crowds on London’s busiest shopping street.
Part-time shop assistant Leanne Robinson, of Carlton Road in Walthamstow, performed to hundreds in the window of House of Fraser in Oxford Street on Saturday.
The 19-year-old said: “I was so nervous because it was 2pm on a Saturday and there were lots of people watching, but I had protective glass around me.
"It was certainly different from anything I have done before, but I really enjoyed it. The crowds were great, clapping along and taking pictures.
“I felt a bit like a mannequin who had come to life.” Before her performance, the former Holy Family College student and three other finalists of the “Search for a Star” competition were made to feel like stars after undergoing a full hair and clothes makeover by celebrity stylist Mark Heyes from GMTV, who also hosted the event.
After a warm-up in the department store, the pop and R&B singer, who trained at the Brit School and has previously sung in clubs, performed five songs including, “If I was a boy”, by Beyonce and “Valerie” by Amy Winehouse.
Leanne came second in the competition organised by the Retail Trust charity, which supports retail sector workers, but was not too disappointed as her second single, called “Run”, will be released by ICM Entertainment shortly.
She said: “There's more talent in retail than people would expect.
"My new single has been played on BBC Radio 3 and is being released to download soon. It is going well. It is hard to get known, but once you do, you are laughing, so I am working towards that.”
Juggling her singing with studying for a degree in music management at Hertfordshire University, Leanne hopes to be as successful as her role models Beyonce and Whitney Houston.
She said: “My parents are really supportive and keep me grounded. I am back at work tomorrow so I will have to get back to normal. But I enjoy my job, so I don't mind – for now.”
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