Ray Quinn is a force to be reckoned with. Brookside, The X Factor, Dancing on Ice and Get Your Act Together are just a few of the huge shows under his belt; but Ray doesn’t want to stop there. CelebMix caught up with the star himself to talk all things music and theatre!
For those who haven’t been following your career, what have you been up to since X Factor?
Haha! Well, I’ve been up to a lot! Apart from the TV stuff I’ve been doing a lot of different shows, west end shows, touring shows. I’ve done my own tour with my own music and I’ve been in the studio writing new music, getting a brand new album ready which I’m really excited about. I’ve also become a father! So plenty of things have happened since X-Factor, I was really young back then.
Do you still enjoy X Factor? What do you make of this year’s panel/hosts?
I like to tune in when I can but I’m usually on stage when it’s on TV so I miss it! I like to keep up to date with it. I hear Ollie Murs is starting his new job as the presenter of the show, I think he’ll be really great addition he’s full of banter and happy go lucky, think he’ll do really well!
What’s happening in the music world? Is a new album coming?
Yeah! There is a new album coming! I’m in the studio, I’m writing. It’s gonna be COMPLETELY different, I can’t wait to get this out and see the reaction when people realise it’s me who is behind it, I think people will be shocked. It’s taken a while to get the right sound so you should be hearing some brand new singles by the end of this year, and the new album will be coming out at the beginning of next year, so fingers crossed for all that, really exciting times for me!
You recently won Get Your Act Together – are you enjoying dabbling in reality shows?
Yeah I am, that was fun for me to get involved in, it was a challenge! It was something different that I’ve not done before and I got to work with my friends again, and Deborah Stevens so yeah, it was really good fun. Something a little bit different!
Speaking of reality… would you ever enter the jungle or the Big Brother house?
I’ve never been asked but I have thought about whether I could eat bugs in the jungle haha! I’m always up for a challenge. I think I would have fun either to be honest. I’m a people’s person and I enjoy good banter and company, so yeah, I think I would, we’ll see eh!
You’ve been in all sorts of theatre shows and tours lately… which do you prefer.. acting or music?
Well, just because you’re doing theatre doesn’t mean you’re just doing acting as one singular thing, theatre is music as well, so it’s bringing the two together in the entertainment business. I’m doing what I love, it’s definitely a completely separate thing to my own music that I write in studio, but I love doing them both and hope to continue.
You’ve recently started on the Judy: The Judy Garland Songbook – tell us more about this role!
Well, the show it’s self is like a glorified concert of the Judy Garland Song Book. We have an amazing cast, Lorna Luft, who is of course Judy’s daughter. She tells tales of growing up with her mum, and what she was like as a person. It really hones in and pays homage and respect to her talents and her life as a whole. What a wonderful woman she was! What a really love is, at the end of the show, Judy takes a bow on the recordings playing on the backing screen of the stage, the audience are still cheering for her, and it’s just magical.
There are so many musicians and actors trying to make it in the showbiz world; what advice would you give people who want to make it?
It’s a tough little industry, but if you really love it, you’ll stick with it. Know what you want to be and where you wanna go, always make sure you’ve got the right people around you to help you, that’s a really important thing.
Can fans ever expect to see you another solo musical tour?
Yeah absolutely! I’m just doing one now, I’m travelling the country which is a sort of pre album tour to get a taste of the new music out there and get people listening in. I’ve been overwhelmed with the response! Next year once the album is released there will be a tour in place which will be really exciting.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
Sooo many people! In the musical theatre side of life and the Hollywood greats, I would have to say Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Junior and the all round entertainers. In the music game people like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darren and of course people like Robbie Williams who’ve done so well in their careers, they are such great entertainers. Of recent, Ed Sheeran just because of the sheer talent, his musical ability and the way he can write songs, it’s so impressive to me!
What would be your ultimate collaboration
Ultimate collaboration obviously if it was a dead or alive situation it would have to be Frank Sinatra just to say that I had done it. Or Sammy Davis Junior, I think that would be awesome, I could tap with them and stuff , have a little dance with them haha! They catch the flavour of that whole period and with being in the Judy Garland Show at the moment they’re really relevant to me. I’m really in the head space of that era at the moment, probably how it’s shaped my answer right now.
Finally, sum up your career in five words!
Positive, exciting, busy, focused and ready!
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