Eurosong finalist to receive strong support from family
GOREY WOMAN'S FIANCEE IN LATE LATE SHOW FINAL
Lee Bradshaw (right) who will be competing on the Late Late Show for a place in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Wednesday March 03 2010
THE GREENE family of Gorey will be taking a special interest in Ireland's Eurosong final on the Late Late Show next weekend.
Mary Greene has a big house party organised and all her guests will be interested in one contestant only -Lee Bradsaw who is engaged to be married to her daughter Suzanne.
Suzanne met the former model, singer and businessman just over two years ago when her sister Audrey applied to be one of the diners on 'The Restaurant' programme on RTE television.
Suzanne went with her and met Lee, native of Dublin who is a waiter on the programme. They have been together ever since and recently got engaged.
The couple live in Kerry where they run Lee's bar and restaurant business together.
Over the past two years, Lee has been a regular visitor to Gorey where posters printed by Audrey Greene's business Cut Price Ink, supporting his entry in the Eurosong final have been erected around the town.
Suzanne will be in the Late Late Show audience on Friday, March 5 for the song contest which will select a winner to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo.
The five finalists who include Mikey Graham of Boyzone beat off huge competition from hundreds of entries, including an unsuccessful song written by Ronan Keating, also of Boyzone.
Lee's song, a pop rock number called 'Rivers of Silence' was written by well-known songwriter Ralph Siegel who has worked with Roy Orbison, Bryan Adams and Petula Clark. Siegel has had 19 songs in the Eurovision Song Contest and won the competition in 1982.
Lee who was also in the final five last year, is optimistic about his prospects. 'We have a great song this year by a very special songwriter', he said.
He is facing tough competition this year from Mikey Graham and prvius Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh.
'I've already seen off one Boyzone member and I'm hoping to make it two', he laughed.
Lee has had a life-long interest in music and spent some time in a boyband 'Men2B' which was signed to President Records in London. When he was just 17, he toured Europe with the band, promoting their single 'Love Satisfaction'. Suzanne is excited but nervous about the forthcoming contest in which the winner will be decided by a 50% regional jury vote and a 50% public text vote. 'It's really exciting but the sleepless nights have already started', said the Gorey woman who will be accompanied to the show by her sister Niamh and partner. Meanwhile, at the family home in Gorey, the Greenes
will be sitting on the edges of their seats.
- Maria PEPPER
