A young \u00a0singer is hoping to show that she\u2019s got the X Factor when she takes part in auditions for the smash hit television show at Swansea\u2019s Quadrant Shopping Centre this weekend.<\/p>\n
Grace Parry, from Swansea, has been a TV regular \u2013 the 21-year-old from Blackpill works as a receptionist at the Llansamlet call centre featured on BBC 3 \u2013 but she\u2019s hoping to be centre stage after Sunday\u2019s tryouts.<\/p>\n
Grace will be going along to the auditions at the Quadrant Centre between 10am and 3pm when the show\u2019s producers are promising to listen to everyone who turns up.<\/p>\n
She has been working at Save Britain Money Ltd, fronted by the larger than life Nev Wilshire, for two years but admits she is rarely seen other than in the background<\/p>\n
She is hoping that her music will now get her more attention after singing professionally in the pubs and clubs around Swansea for the past 12 months.<\/p>\n
Grace said: \u201cIt\u2019s brilliant that the auditions are coming to Swansea because there is plenty of talent here and it gives us a chance to show that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have been playing the piano and writing music for a long time but I only started singing by accident because I was too shy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were on holiday a couple of years ago and I got up to sing at a karaoke night and my mum and dad were really shocked but dad said my voice was really good and that encouraged me because I\u2019d been too scared to sing before.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have started singing in a few places around Swansea and I love it now. I\u2019m often at Verve and Garbo\u2019s and sing mainly R\u2019n\u2019B, older stuff by people like Marvin Gaye and I Heard It Through The Grapevine is one of my most popular songs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have an alto voice and write my own songs as well and they\u2019re more like ballads and taken from personal experience, love songs and things like that but I do love performing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m passionate about it and my mum and dad, Phil and Claire Parry, have been really supportive. I think it has given me more confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing is when other people relate to your own songs and hopefully that will happen on Sunday \u2013 it would be incredible to get through and go all the way.<\/p>\n
X Factor researcher Louie Lancaster said: \u201cThe X-Factor has never had a Welsh winner but I\u2019m sure there is plenty of talent out there and especially in Swansea which has a fantastic musical tradition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the city that produced Bonnie Tyler and the late great Harry Secombe so we\u2019re hoping to unearth talent like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have been touring the country and finding lots of really great performers and I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll find some more at the Quadrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Quadrant Shopping Centre Manager Ian Kirkpatrick said:\u00a0\u201cSwansea people love music and the city has some very talented singers and I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll have a great turnout for Sunday.\u201d<\/p>\n
The auditions will take place in a unit at the Quadrant Centre beween 10am and 3pm and the show\u2019s producers are promising to listen to everyone who turns up.<\/p>\n
For a chance to hear Grace Parry sing go to http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UC5te64HkK4<\/a><\/p>\n For more on what\u2019s happening at the Quadrant Shopping Centre go to http:\/\/www.quadrantshopping.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n