Every Which Way but Lucie
The other day I posted a video here of British performer Lucie Jones from the musical Waitress blowing away the audience with the song “This Used to Be Mine.” As I noted, I sought out other material of her after seeing her wonderful duet from Les Miserables with Susan Boyle’s return to Britain’s Got Talent.
(Worth noting that in addition to starring in Waitress and Les Miserables on the West End in London, she also starred as ‘Elle Woods” in the touring company of the musical Legally Blonde. And represented the U.K. at the massive 2017 Eurovision songfest.)
But it turns out that she got her start as a contestant on a simple show, also with Simon Cowell as a judge, called The X-Factor, where she appeared 15 years ago at just age 18 -- from a tiny village in Wales of only a few hundred people. She finished eighth (I can’t even fathom that, I can only imagine how great the top seven must have been.) This is the video of her first, extremely nervous appearance. As you’ll see from a couple of comments in the clip by Simon Cowell, he’s very skeptical of her (or pretty much anyone) taking on Whitney Houston’s iconic rendition of Dolly Parton’s song, “I Will Always Love You” – and, in fact, even hints that Lucie Jones might want to re-think her choice. What leaps out in the video is the moment when we see her win him over. (Everyone else on the panel and in the auditorium was already won over. And the judges' comments afterwards just reinforce that, overwhelmingly – even Simon Cowell’s.) It's a powerful, charming and superb performance. What also stands out is the supporting evidence of my original opinion from my first article about how kind, caring and attentive to others she seemed to be.
But above all, for a first, national appearance at just age 18 with this song – it’s really special. Combined with adorable, which is a rare combination. And shows where her later performances came from.
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