12-year-old Cork girl turns down appearance on The Ellen Show
A 12-year-old musician from Cork whose cover of Ed Sheeran's 'Supermarket Flowers' has gone viral has turned down an appearance on the Ellen Show and would snub fame in favour of a career in childcare.
Allie Sherlock, from Douglas, is well-known around Cork city for her busking performances and cover versions of songs by Adele, Shawn Mendes, Alicia Keys and Jessie J.
A trip to Dublin last weekend yielded a video of her covering the Ed Sheeran hit on Grafton Street. Within three days of it being posted on Allie's Facebook page it has been viewed over 670,000 times, liked 20,000 times and has been shared by more than 5,500 people.
Onlookers in the video are seen shocked at the power of Allie's singing and her technical proficiency on her acoustic guitar.
However, the talented musician is keeping her feet firmly on the ground and has more modest ambitions than a career touring the world like her music idols.
“I've been playing the guitar for three and a half years now. It's really interesting. I practice every day for an hour and I learn a new song that I like. I enjoy doing it,” she tells the Evening Echo.
“I don't want it to be a professional career but I'd like to do it, just as a hobby. I'd like to do childcare because my auntie owns a creche,” she adds.
Allie doesn't come from a musical background but her dad Mark is a big support to her.
“My dad is great, he likes to build up my confidence, so I busk in Dublin and I get some big crowds. It's pretty overwhelming. Sometime I might not actually get a crowd and I feel more nervous. I'm not really that nervous with a crowd in front of me,” says Allie.
“I want to keep practising all the time and singing and so it's like a hobby really. Maybe I'll do weddings. I'd like to see what happens in the future before deciding anything,” she adds.
Dad Mark says he just wants his daughter to enjoy her music and not feel any pressure “There's been a few people on to us about different things. She had the Ellen Show in America contact her but she's only 12 and she just enjoys a bit of busking,” he says.
“My main thing is that Allie continues to be Allie because she's a child. She enjoys her singing and as soon as it isn't fun anymore, that would be the end of it. Her plan is to do childcare, she would love that. Music is second. She might go to college and maybe head into town busking and earn herself a few quid,” he adds.
This story first appeared on the EveningEcho.ie.
