Plumber Lands Record Deal After Music Mogul Hears Him Singing On The Job

A plumber from England spent six weeks singing along as he worked in the bathrooms of a music mogul's home. Now, he has a record deal and just released an album.

Kev Crane from Leicestershire, England was offered a record deal after spending six weeks working on three bathrooms at the home of Paul Conneally, owner of New Reality Records. Conneally said he noticed his plumber had a “good voice” as he sang along to the radio as he worked.

“He sings along to the radio all day as he tiles and plumbs in bathrooms. I told him he had a good voice and he mentioned he’d been writing and recording songs in his home studio,” Conneally told the BBC.

Crane, 49, often sang along to the likes of David Bowie and Meat Loaf and revealed to Conneally, 62, that he had previously played music in bands and worked on writing his own album. Crane says he was shocked when the homeowner asked to hear more of his work.

“I sent him the album on the Friday and I thought if I don’t hear from him over the weekend, I can just go back to work for him on the Monday and just carry on fitting his bathrooms,” Crane said.

Conneally loved the album and described it as “a sound that is so 80s but so now at the same time,” and offered Crane a record deal. 

The album, Why Can’t I Be You?, has since been released by New Reality Records.

“It just feels surreal. I never expected anything like this to happen. I love writing music. It’s my hobby,” Crane told the BBC. “When I went round to give Paul a quote, he mentioned he owned a record label but I didn’t really think much of it.”

Crane added that he is working on new music and seeing what could happen next. “I’ve always been into music. I used to be in a few bands when I was younger and have written a lot of my own music,” he said. “I don’t have any expectations. I would love to be able to write songs for other artists but if nothing else happens, then it was fun while it lasted.”

Image source: BBC