WATCH: Teen singing sensation Michael Lewis steals the show at Inverness’ Highland Games
A teenager from Newtonmore is the talk of the town after taking to the stage at this year's Highland Games in Inverness and wowing the crowds with his rendition of swing classics.
Incredibly Kingussie High School pupil Michael Lewis (16) only started singing nine months ago but his stunning natural talent is fast winning over ever bigger audiences.
The youngster was accompanied by Gerry Coogan on piano, and had the crowd in the palm of his hand, listening in awe.
Michael played a 40 minute set and blew the crowd away with classics, including ‘Such a Night, My Way, Midnight in Vermont’, and finished with an ‘incredible’ version of ‘New York, New York’.
Many people have compared the talented teenager to Michael Buble and even a young Frank Sinatra.
Margaret Hourston, who had travelled from Texas to be at this year's games was amazed by his voice as she said: “How can a 16-year-old have a voice with such maturity and depth, that boy is going to go a long way”.
After discovering the song ‘My Way’, by Sinatra, on TikTok, Michael was inspired to start singing and began to do so in his bedroom which is where he found his voice.
He gave one of his first public performances at Kingussie High School’s Christmas concert last December when he sang Nina Simone’s Feeling Good and blew away the audience.
But it was when Michael went to the local Shinty Memories group with his school, that a short video of him singing went viral and he was picked up by Bruce Macgregor of MacGregors Bars.
Bruce invited him to play in the new cocktail bar at MacGregors in Inverness and as they say, the rest is history.
From there it’s been a ‘stratospheric rise’ with many requests for the young man to sing including interest from America.
However, Michael is keen to stay based in the Highlands until he finishes his sixth year at Kingussie High School.
Earlier this month Michael played Blusey Beauly, with The Highland Swing Band, and he has many other one off gigs planned throughout the remaining year.
There are plenty of opportunities to see Michael perform as he will be playing the Belladrum Ice House Stage on Thursday, July 25, at 4.30pm. He can also be seen every Friday at MacGregors bar in Inverness.
But there is also a chance to see him perform closer to home this weekend.
The Railway Cafe at Toncam’s new showroom in Kingussie is launching its full menu on Saturday and the business will be hosting Michael from 10am to 2pm.
