By Pauline Bezzina
May 31 2020, 17.31
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Jamie Lonsdale’s second album was released on April 10 and was number 10 in the charts on the first week.
At last, the 61-year-old Pimlico resident is reconnecting with music, a longtime friend.
When asked why ‘Footprints’, Mr Lonsdale had a simple explanation: he was one of the first people to be struck down by coronavirus in the UK.
He said: “It didn’t become so serious I needed hospitalisation.
“But you wonder how bad it’s gonna get and you realize that you are not here forever.”
‘Footprints’ to him meant leaving a permanent mark in the world.
“I wanted this as an expression of my life to be out in the ether,” he stressed.
This second album, recorded with a full orchestra, marks the beginning of a new chapter of his life and a new state of mind.
His first album ‘A Journey’ which came out on iTunes only – the album was self-promoted – in 2017 was predominantly songs about heartbreak.
“To me music which has an element of sadness, really grabs the hearts of the audience,” he said.
The idea behind making ‘Footprints’ a more cheerful and diverse album actually came from his sister Johanna who once challenged him to write more happy songs.
His second album marks the first time he had ever collaborated.
“I used to write songs in my own bubble.
“Making this album made me realise the power of collaboration.”
When asked about what inspired him to start singing and writing songs, he shares a very personal story.
“I think what really made me want to sing was a tragedy in my life where my eldest son Louis died of cot death when he was 11 months old in 1992.
“The shock of losing a child is something a parent should never have to get through,” he said.
Mr Lonsdale’s career in music was not meant to be, in fact it was far from that.
When he had just turned 18, he enrolled in the Royal Navy for five years and travelled around the world driving warships before studying on studying chartered surveying at Cirencester’s Royal Agricultural University.
He then had a successful second career in property and finance for 25 years.
It was when he turned 38 that Mr Lonsdale started singing classes while still working in finance.
Not exactly what a career in music would have been like.
He stressed: “My parents did not push me towards music.
“I think probably they were pushing me away.”
There is no doubt his passion for music was always here, but it took someone very special for Mr Lonsdale to step in and start singing solo.
He shared: “I’m very grateful to Princess Margaret because she indirectly introduced me to the normality of singing after dinner.”
He added: “I always tried to avoid singing solo, I was fairly shy about singing.”
He highlighted that as a kid his parents would invite Cleo Laine and pianist Johnny Dankworth to come along and sing after diner and they would bring along Princess Margaret.
“We’d all gather around the piano and singing some of the old songs.
“Princess Margaret helped me building up my confidence to perform in public.
“I’ve never done that before and just realised what an enormous fun it was to do,” he added.
Mr Lonsdale’s widowed father, Norman Lonsdale, had a five-year affair with Princess Margaret during the 1980s.
He said: “She loved the arts, she lived for ballet.”
Mr Lonsdale is keeping busy promoting his album during lockdown and is preparing performances in the West End and all around London.
To find out more: https://www.jamie-lonsdale.com/
