May 8, 2022
Updated: May 25, 2022
A series of fortunate circumstances takes a plumber - who thought his dreams of a singing career had gone down the drain - from an unexpected recording contract to potential Hollywood stardom.
Kev Crane, 50, from Leicestershire, England, long ago set aside his dreams of becoming a singer and settled into a career as a plumber instead. After years on the pub and wedding circuit and with no big break in sight, Kev put his music ambitions on the back burner.
However, when he was fitting a bathroom in someone's home not so long ago, he couldn’t resist joining in with the music on his radio. Serendipitously, thanks to the bathroom window being open, a neighbour was privy to the tuneful tradesman’s vocals. That person was Paul Conneally, who just so happened to own and run New Reality Records - and signed him up to record an album.
But then Hollywood producers Stacy Sherman and Billy Ray - who co-wrote Hunger Games and Captain Phillips - heard his story and the couple immediately wanted to make a movie about him. The film is already at the screenplay stage and will be written by British film writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. The duo are responsible for comedies including Porridge and The Likely Lads.
Kev admits: ‘When I got to nearly 30, life got in the way and I gave up on the dream’, adding: ‘I always ask customers if it’s okay to put the radio on so I can have a singalong while I work.'
Kev’s new rise to stardom has taken him somewhat by surprise.
‘Me and my wife were in the pub having a drink when within 20 minutes of each other I had a message from Stacey Sherman, saying she was a film producer and would love to talk, and then an offer to appear on the US chat show, Ellen’.
Kev, flushed with success, has now signed over the rights to his story, so watch this space. Or, in due course, the movie.
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