Superstar Lemar comes to Margate
The 30-year-old Tottenham fan revealed to the Thanet Times this week it is one of the most bizarre good luck presents he has ever received from a fan.
He said: “There I was in France and this French girl had been hanging around the hotel all day. I came back and I heard her saying ‘Lemar, Lemar, I have a present for you’. I took it upstairs with me and opened it up and it was a box with chicken bones in it. One of them still had feathers on it. There was a note inside saying ‘this is for good luck’.”
It is almost four years since the star caused a stampede for tickets by announcing his first concert in Margate and he is already geared up for next year’s Winter Gardens gig.
He said: “I am definitely looking forward to coming back and a great crowd – hopefully even better than before. I used to come down to Margate as a child, so it’s always nice to revisit somewhere that brings back childhood memories.”
A chance viewing of an advert for Fame Academy led Lemar to become one of the UK’s biggest pop and soul artists. He was about to give up his bid for musical fame. and concentrate on working at Natwest. when he saw the ad.
He said: “I was just sitting in the canteen and caught the end of this ad and thought nothing about it. I’d recently been on a 30-day tour with Trevor Nelson but then the next day I saw it again and thought right, this is my last shot because I was meant to be going back to university a few months later. because this was in July.”
The Tottenham fan, who said his proudest moment was winning his first BRIT award, applied and sure enough made it into the final three of the show in 2003.
Lemar began singing early but it was through serendipity that his music career began.
He said: “I was about 16 when this guy called Ronnie heard me singing in the living room. He asked me to come down to the studio and record a track. They were taken aback by what they heard and that was when I decided this was something I really wanted to do.”
He ended up supporting many famous acts including Destiny's Child on their UK club tours.
Despite not winning Fame Academy, Lemar caught the eye of soul singer Beverley Knight who invited him to sing a duet with her during her concert at the Hammersmith Apollo.
Record label Sony was so impressed they signed him to a five year record deal worth £1 million. To date, each of his albums has sold in excess of 500,000 copieseach.
Lemar will be coming to Margate on March 20. Tickets cost £25 each plus a £1 booking fee and are available from the Winter Gardens, Margate on 01843 296111.
Calling all Lemar fans? What gift are your preparing for Lemar? Can you beat the chicken wings for the most biazarre gift ever? Email us at newsdesk.thanet@krnmedia.co.uk
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