Sheila Diamond, 63, has been a professional singer for 34 years but never imagined she would become a global sensation after her cover of Gala’s Freed From Desire went viral online
There are countless wonderful grandmothers across the globe, but one making waves is vocalist Sheila Diamond. The Bolton nan, 63, recently became an internet sensation after footage of her belting out Gala’s Freed From Desire went viral online, catapulting her to worldwide recognition.
Having grafted as a professional vocalist in and around Manchester for 34 years, it’s safe to say Sheila understands how to command an audience, but just as she was contemplating “slowing down” to dedicate more time to her loved ones, her career suddenly took off in spectacular fashion – all thanks to a nightclub anthem.
During a gig this year, a barmaid chose to record her performing Gala’s Freed From Desire, and now countless people worldwide have watched it, leaving her stunned by the number of shares and views it’s racked up.
When questioned whether she anticipated such massive success, Sheila responded: “Oh god, no. Definitely not. It’s gone mental.
“I think it was from a performance in one of the clubs in Chorley. They were all older and I just said ‘fancy having a bit of a rave?’
“A barmaid filmed me and I did Freed from Desire and they loved it. People were up dancing.”
Following the clip’s circulation online, Sheila is now receiving more booking requests than ever before. Fans from across the planet have contacted her attempting to secure the glamorous grandmother for their own events.
When it comes to iconic grandmothers, Sheila is undoubtedly right up there. She’s proving just how vital it is to embrace life at every age, and to never abandon the things you’re passionate about.
“I have got people emailing from countries from Spain to Portugal,” she said. “Someone has asked me to go and sing in Malta.
“All over the world. ‘Can you come over to Australia? You need to come to Australia’.” Sheila has quickly become not just a Bolton legend, but a global one, all in the matter of months.
Sheila is due to turn 64 in July, and she confessed she had been contemplating easing off as she approaches 65, but it appears those plans may be shifting. She admitted singing “is not just a job” to her, as she is utterly devoted to what she does and it forms a huge part of her life.
“I was supposed to be slowing down before this happened,” she continued. “If I got the chance to travel, that would be fantastic, but I have three children and I have grandchildren.
“My eldest grandson is 12 and thinks it’s absolutely amazing. My husband and children are behind me.”
Yet, despite her family’s wholehearted support, Sheila confessed that the sudden surge of fame hasn’t come without its challenges. One issue she finds particularly difficult is dealing with online trolls.
Initially, she found navigating the online commentary extremely hard to handle. Sheila said: “I didn’t like it at first because of all the keyboard warriors.
“There would be thousands of good comments and I would only focus on the bad. My son does my social media for me now so I only see the good bits. It’s been lovely.”
