Stan a karaoke fan at 91
Former champion cyclist Stan Saxon is celebrating his 91st birthday this weekend - and he still has a fine pair of lungs.
He's marking the occasion on Saturday night with a karaoke sing-along at his favourite pub in Telford.
Widower Mr Saxon, of Hadley, enjoys singing in public three or four times a week and believes he could be the oldest karaoke singer in Shropshire.
The "karaoke king" was born in 1916 in Swinton, Salford, but his family moved to Shropshire when he was six years old as his father got a job in the Madeley Wood pit.
In his younger days he was heavily involved in cycling, training at the St Georges cinder track.
In 1935 he was the British Cycling Champion for a mile and also found time to play for the Kynnersley football team. He was still refereeing football matches until the age of 70.
But singing is his current passion and he has wholeheartedly embraced the karaoke age.
"Music is in my blood. My father was a fine baritone," said the former long distance lorry driver and 'Jack of all trades'. "I joke that I used to be a tenor but I'm only a fiver now.
"I used to love singing all Mario Lanza's songs and I've sung in talent shows at Butlin's holiday camps all over the country.
"My favourite singer is the Hungarian Richard Tauber, who was ordered to sing for Hitler, and is the finest tenor I've ever heard."
Mr Saxon is well known at several pubs in the Telford area, including the Duke of York in Trench and the Cross Keys in Hadley.
His karaoke favourites are Some Enchanted Evening, from South Pacific, and Words, the old Bee Gees classic.
He also loves to sing My Way - covered by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols - and used that as the title of his autobiography which he wrote last year.
Is Stan Shropshire's oldest karaoke singer? We want to hear from you. Contact the Shropshire Star newsdesk on (01952) 242424 or email newsroom@shropshirestar.co.uk
By Peter Johnson
