A talented young singer has got her sights set high but she would welcome the assistance of local songwriters. Hollie Clarke, aged 13, from Bromley, performs regularly at So Pink, a weekly live music club for musicians performing original material.

Steve Edwards is the founder of So Pink, which meets at Jazzmins Nightclub, Bromley, every Monday night. He also manages Hollie, a friend of his daughter. Both girls attend Ravensbourne School, in Bromley.

Hollie's voice has a good range and is suitable for most types of music. She is currently singing covers like Runaway, by the Corrs, and Part of Your World, from the Disney film, The Little Mermaid.

She has been working closely with Steve who used to be a singer and songwriter himself to choose songs from his stock of material and has helped write a couple of pieces.

She said: "There is one called Baby with an up-tempo beat which is all about school and stuff."

Steve said: "We are trying to get her some original songs maybe one of your readers may have a song for Hollie. All the songwriters at the club are trying to see what they can come up with."

Anybody is welcome to get in touch with songs but the material needs to be suitable for Hollie's age.

It was not only Hollie's singing which made an impression on Steve, but also her initiative and determination. She first spotted the equipment for the live music club while attending the weekly children's disco held upstairs at Jazzmins and asked if she could sing. It took her a couple of months to get the nerve to do it but once she had, there was no looking back.

Hollie started to sing properly when she was only 11. She is now determined to be successful and said: "I'd really like to get a record deal and become famous."

But she also accepts there are perils associated with being famous: "The newspapers could write horrible things about you and everybody would know your life and who you were. And you wouldn't be able to go shopping without being harassed by people."

Hollie is already started to get noticed. She has appeared on Sky television, won the lead part in a London stage show and appeared in school productions of Oliver and Calamity Jane. She is definitely setting the foundations to go a long way.

q So Pink meets every Monday at Jazzmins Nightclub, Elmfield Road, Bromley, call 07733 326937. The next gig will be on January 7.

December 19, 2001 17:44