Mar 31 2006
By
The Evening Chronicle
Move over, Adam Sandler - there's a new wedding singer on the block.
Pop Idol finalist Aaron Bayley is branching out into performing at special events and he is available for you to hire.
The move is part of a series of big changes for the Benton lad who, Angel Eyes can reveal, also has a new lady in his life after splitting from long-term love Vikki Thompson.
And right now Aaron couldn't be happier.
"I've been with Carly now for about five months and things are going well," he says.
"On the music side of things, I've got a band together of professional musicians and we're taking bookings for weddings, functions and corporate events.
"We do a huge range of stuff. A bit of Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, U2, Scissor Sisters and Elvis. There's something for everyone. I'm really enjoying it.
"I've got a few other things in the pipeline as well and I'm writing and recording new stuff all the time."
Aaron has lost touch with most of his fellow Pop Idol contestants, but he remains great pals with Jessica Garlick, who went on to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2002. "Jessica got married and emigrated to Australia," says Aaron. "But she's back in Cardiff now with her husband and looking to move to London to stay in the music business.
"I was never even tempted to move down South. I can get on an easyJet flight for a few quid and be down there in less than an hour if I need to be.
"London is just too big and I didn't want to leave the North East."
In between writing new music and playing his gigs, Aaron also finds time to dote on Presley, his son with Vikki.
The lively three-year-old has a fine set of lungs on him - as he demonstrated in the background during Aaron's interview. He must take after his dad.
"He's a little villain," laughs Aaron, who didn't want to go into details about his break-up with Vikki. "But he loves singing, so it might be in the genes.
"It's mostly nursery rhymes at the minute, but he knows the words to Bon Jovi's Captain Crash and the Beauty Queen from Mars and I'm working on his Elvis. He's great at remembering the words, so we could have a superstar in the making!"
