A County Durham teenager had a moment she’ll never, ever forget on Monday night, when she joined a host of music icons at a special concert in New York, having been handpicked to open the show by world renowned producer Clive Davis.
Clive is the man credited for shooting both Whitney Houston and Barry Manilow to global fame, as well as being behind hits for the likes of Aerosmith, Westlife, Dionne Warwick, Santana and Jennifer Hudson.
On Monday the music mogul was honoured at New York Pops, a star studded event at the iconic Carnegie Hall. And, having found out about the event, Clive knew exactly who he wanted to kick things off – 19-year-old Courtney, who having already caused a stir at 11, with her vocals at lunchtime open mic sessions at at The Academy at Shotton Hall school in Peterlee and on The Voice Kids UK, became known the world over thanks to her Golden Buzzer earning appearance on America’s Got Talent and a subsequent All Stars series.
The show got Courtney noticed on a much larger scale and, over the last few years she has been busy recording and gigging, with no-one more proud of her than her Northumberland based vocal coach Julie Miles.
Courtney opened Monday’s gala in the Big Apple with a performance of Piece of My Heart, in tribute to Clive’s first ever signing Janis Joplin, with Julie commenting: “The invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall is a testament to Courtney’s extraordinary talent and hard work. It’s a dream come true for any artist, and I couldn’t be prouder of her achievements.
“For me, it’s particularly poignant as when Courtney was just 11 years old, I mentioned her similarity to Janis Joplin. I played Cry Baby and Courtney went home and immediately learnt the whole song! When Howie Mandel (America’s Got Talent judge) said the same thing two years later just before his Golden Buzzer, it was quite a moment.”
On just how much of a honour being chosen to star at an event like New York Pops is for Courtney, Julie added: “Clive Davis’s influence extends far beyond the music industry; it resonates with audiences worldwide. His ability to recognise and nurture talent has changed the course of music history. For Courtney to receive this invitation speaks volumes about her potential as an artist.”
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