Kev Crane, an English plumber, never intended on changing his profession. However, when he started singing while fixing the bathroom of a client, the homeowner knew he needed to offer Crane a record deal. Thankfully, the client was actually in the position to do so! Now, this plumber is well on his way to becoming an A-lister…
Plumber Gets Smacked With A Real Record Deal
Back in July, Kev Crane, 49, from Leicestershire, England, thought he simply had a normal day at work: remodel another bathroom. Over the years, many had told Crane he had a beautiful singing voice. However, he never pursued a career in music – it just seemed too big of a risk. But that would all soon change, because his client in July was none other than Paul Conneally, the independent label New Reality Records owner. And when Conneally heard Crane sing, he could not believe his ears!
It all started when the Talking Heads’ hit song “Burnin’ Down the House” came on and Crane couldn’t help but sing along as he remodeled Conneally’s bathroom. At first, Conneally didn’t make too much fuss. “When I went round to give Paul a quote, he mentioned he owned a record label but I didn’t really think much of it,” the worker said. “I’ve always been into music. I used to be in a few bands when I was younger and have written a lot of my own music.”
However, the more Crane sang along to heavy hitters like David Bowie and Meat Loaf, the more Conneally realized he had found a diamond in the rough. Diamond in the bathroom is more like it! “He sings along to the radio all day as he tiles and plumbs in bathrooms,” Conneally said later. “I told him he had a good voice and he mentioned he’d been writing and recording songs in his home studio.”
Still, singing along to other artists is one thing, but writing your own is another beast entirely. So, playing it cautiously, Conneally asked Crane to send him some demos. Once again, the record producer could not believe what he heard…
New Artist Discovered
When Conneally heard Crane’s demos, he felt “struck by the songwriting and lyrics.” Almost immediately, the producer signed Crane to his label and asked him to record an entire album! “I was gobsmacked,” Crane said. “It’s something you read about that happens to somebody else. You don’t expect it to happen to you.”
In August, New Reality Records released the first of Crane’s albums: Why Can’t I Be You?. It features plenty of songs that Crane has written over the years, including one over 25 years ago! Meanwhile, Conneally is happy to continue to let Crane grow into the artist he wants to become, which the singer-turned-plumber truly appreciates. “I’m just seeing where it leads. I don’t have any expectations,” Crane said. “I would love to be able to write songs for other artists but if nothing else happens, then it was fun while it lasted.”
“If you haven’t got a dream, how can you ever have a dream come true?” Crane added. “Never, ever give up.”
Sources: InspireMore, Inquirer, The Week