Forget 'The Voice' and 'Australian Idol' - local performer Paris Zachariou has discovered that a visit to a retirement village can reveal just as much talent as those star-maker TV shows. During a performance for about 110 people at St John's earlier this year, the Wangaratta singer had just belted out 'O Sole Mio' in his first set before being approached by Alice Duncan, who told him how much she and her husband John were enjoying the music. "Alice went on to explain that John had been a singer in Liverpool, England before they came out to Australia, and as a tenor he used to sing 'O Sole Mio', so they had really connected to that song," Paris said. "I suggested that I get him to sing a little in the next set, but she hesitated as she was concerned that because it had been so long since John had sung, he might not remember the lyrics…or so she thought. "In the next set, while singing Frank Sinatra's 'My Way', I approached John from behind and put the microphone in his face, and this beautiful sound resonated from him and he sang the line." Paris then sat opposite 91-year-old John and fed him some of the lyrics to the next verse, and was amazed by what he heard. "He pulled it off stupendously, to rapturous applause," Paris said. After enjoying the connection during the show and chatting briefly to the couple afterwards, Paris contacted the Duncans the following week, when he had a chance to look through John's old sheet music and hear stories of his performances in Liverpool and surrounds. "At that catch-up, I suggested he come along with me a few weeks later and perform some songs at Cooinda Aged Care in Benalla, where I perform regularly," Paris said. "He agreed, so we met at my home studio a number of times and prepared six songs to sing together." That performance took place on last Thursday, and proved a huge success. "The response from residents of the home was overwhelming, and they can't wait to have John back," Paris said. The pair have more performances planned for the future, including one back at St John's in October. In the meantime, John will be visiting Paris' studio regularly for singing sessions and to learn more songs. "The most amazing thing from this experience is that is has allowed John to relive his singing experiences from the past, reinvigorated his love of singing and given him a new purpose in life," Paris said. "His two children, who live in Perth and Adelaide, are over the moon with what's happening, and have noticed a difference in him when they are on the phone." Paris has also enjoyed finding out the details of John's singing career in England, and briefly in Australia. "When John performed back in England, the comperes of the clubs would introduce him as 'The Golden Voice of Liverpool', and in the 1960s he performed all over the north-west of England at clubs and venues, usually one to three times a week as well as working a full-time job," Paris said. John, who supported Dusty Springfield at one of those shows, was on the cusp of turning professional, but chose to cancel the biggest performance of his career because it coincided with his departure for Australia. He arrived Down Under in 1970 with wife Alice and their children, then aged two and three, and settled in Melbourne, where they lived for many years before moving to Yarrawonga. "While he didn't sing a lot in Australia, there were highlights, including the fact that he won the Grenada Studios New Faces competition in 1971 and was awarded a gold Seiko watch inscribed with his name; he still has that watch," Paris said. In 1975, John won a competition through radio station 3UZ as part of the Moomba Festival, and the final was recorded at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, for which John received $100 (a huge amount at that time) and a letter informing him of his success to the final stage. "Sadly, that's pretty much where his singing career ended in Australia; the only singing he did after that was when he shifted to Yarrawonga and he and Alice would sing as part of a group at various hospices in town," Paris said. "I feel a responsibility to share John's gift with the world and provide an opportunity for him to express his art. "It really is a privilege, especially because of the benefits it is bringing him. "The fact that he is almost 92 and his voice is still extremely strong is such a wonderful thing."
