Richard Stirton, the winner of South Africa’s first season of the famed international talent competition, The Voice South Africa, opened up about his time in the spotlight as a professional musician.
The Voice South Africa, which originated in America, was filmed in Highlands North’s Sasani Studios.
A lover of singing since he was a young boy, Stirton began to hone in on his musical skills at the tender age of 14 – using his guitar to match-pitch and singing in the bathroom.
His current success, however, didn’t come easy as he told City Buzz about the many times he failed before making it big – a lesson that could resonate with any person on a journey to self-realisation.
“Straight out of school I said I was going to do music and one of my teachers told me to audition for the Barnyard Theatre so I did. I was always good at singing, but I’ve always been about my sport – not really one for dancing. I got fired after one show because I couldn’t dance. Then I entered Idols in 2013, but I didn’t even make it to the TV rounds,” he explained humorously.
Photo: Canton Parker NEWBIE: Industry newbie takes over the music scene with his new album, Middle Ground.
Finally convinced by his girlfriend and his family to give it a go once more, Stirton entered the singing competition and it was a cherished experience for him, but not the end goal.
On winning The Voice South Africa, he explained, “I really only started music a couple of years ago so it was weird [to win]. It was really surreal. It’s exciting, but I don’t see this as winning. This isn’t it! Now I’m in the big, bad world and the real work begins,” said Stirton.
Now, signed with Universal Music, the singer is promoting his first album titled, Middle Ground, available on iTunes and for purchase at local music stores.
The name of the album he attributed to the transition between normalcy and sudden fame – the Middle Ground between his musical style and commercial requirements of creating an album.
Despite requirements from the record label, he appreciates that he was able to be hands-on with the music – elated that he was able to produce two tracks on his own, with maximum contribution on the others.
Still eager to face the inevitable challenges that will come his way, he and his soulful voice are sure to become a household favourite.
