An overnight sensation as he approaches his 80th birthday.
That’s Dundee’s piano wizard Stan Urban who, in his seventh decade of performing rock ‘n’ roll, could now become a music star after wowing the judges on ITV’s The Voice.
The 79-year-old was an immediate hit with the quartet of Will.i.am, Tom Jones, Anne-Marie and Olly Murs.
And it was the former X Factor star and Heart Skips a Beat singer who pressed the all-important button.
Stan told The Courier: “It’s a good thing that I’ve got this pat on the back from my home country.”
Standing ovation for Stan Urban
After rocking through a short version of Chuck Berry’s rock ‘n’ roll hit Little Queenie, he even performed with Tom Jones who sang Great Balls of Fire while the Dundonian romped through the song in his inimitable Jerry Lee Lewis piano style, with Will.i.am improvising a rap along with the veteran rockers.
Afterwards he name-checked Tom Jones as the reason he entered the show and thanked him for continuing to hold the torch for their generation of musicians.
It was an astounding performance which all four judges sang and danced along to, while the delighted audience gave Stan a well-deserved standing ovation as he walked off into the arms of his wife Evelyn.
Asked by show host Emma Willis which was his highlight, being chosen by Olly Murs or duetting with Tom Jones, he of course replied, “Tom Jones.”
Tom returned the favour during his appearance on the One Show last week as he and Will.i.am waxed lyrical about Stan’s appearance. Tom described him as “A breath of Fresh Air, he was great.”
Will.i.am went one better, describing Stan’s performance as his favourite ever moment on the show, in the seven years he’s been on it.
He previously found fame on social media in 2019 after a video of him playing rock ‘n’ roll tunes on the piano at Dundee Rail Station went viral.
‘I don’t do auditions’
Stan believes that spontaneous appearance, which came as he arrived in Dundee to play a gig in Clark’s on Lindsay Street, also captured the hearts of the producers of the popular talent show and he was scouted by them earlier this year.
“I can’t pass a piano, if I see a piano I have to play it,” he told us.
Stan, who will celebrate his 80th birthday in January, lives with Evelyn (Evi) in Denmark.
He says he didn’t know anything about The Voice before they contacted him and – despite the exposure – is keeping his feet on the ground and playing down his chances of further success on the show.
And Stan, who grew up in Kirkton, says his “incredible” experience almost didn’t happen as he turned down the initial approach from the show’s producers.
“I’ve never heard of it before, I’ve never seen it, we don’t get it in Denmark. I told them no, no thanks, I don’t do auditions,” he laughed.
“I said is it the kind of thing where they assess these ‘brain-dead, I wanna be famous’ kind of narcissists and he said no.
“I said do you know how old I am and he said we know all about you.
“It was incredible, I’m taking it all in my stride though, I mean I’ve had quite a successful career if you like as a musician, just to be able to live you know, from music is fine.
“I got through to the next round but let’s face it, I don’t think I’m going to win it.
“I know in my heart of hearts a guy my age won’t get through to the finals, they’re not going to offer a 79-year-old a ten-year recording contract are they?
“I can’t get my head around it, I don’t really know any of the coaches.”
Stan admits he didn’t really know the procedures of the show either, as initially he walked off the stage immediately after finishing his spot instead of stepping forward to have a discussion with his new mentor Olly and the other judges.
“I completely screwed up, there were all these flashing lights saying I want you. I walked off like it was the end of a gig.
“The only guy I was focused on was Tom Jones, I completely ignored the guy (Olly Murs) who chose me. He had to literally run after me and drag me back.
“I was speaking to Tom Jones and he was laughing his head off. I said ‘Mr Jones,’ or maybe ‘Sir Tom’ or something, to me you were, you are and you always will be a rock ‘n ‘ roller and he nodded his head wisely, that kind of thing.
“I thought, why did they want me, it must be the ‘aw’ factor, you know like Captain Tom walking for charity, everybody’s going ‘aw isn’t he cute’.
“Olly Murs told me, ‘Stan you are definitely not Aww!’”
During his lengthy career Stan has played with Chuck Berry and met his all-time heroes Little Richard – who he says is responsible for him playing rock ‘n’ roll music – and Jerry Lee Lewis.
“Jerry Lee signed a photograph of me playing the piano,” he says.
Leaving home at 17 for world of rock ‘n’ roll
Having left Dundee at the age of 17, Stan found himself at the end of the rock ‘n’ roll era and had to adapt to playing along with the new beat generation, including bands who did stints in Hamburg at the time the Beatles were there.
He also played with pop bands of the sixties, The Animals, The Troggs, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and played Beatles hits with many bands around that time.
“You have to remember The Beatles were playing rock ‘n’ roll songs back then too, a lot of their early songs were thing like Roll Over Beethoven and stuff like that.”
But despite a lifetime spent touring and performing across the world and having made his home in Denmark for the past 35 years, Stan admits the lure of a hometown gig is impossible to ignore.
“Once this Voice thing happens I’m hoping to get back over to Dundee and play.
“The last time I played was in September in Clark’s and it was a little bit under par because I got cramps in my hands.
“People said they didn’t notice it but I noticed it, so I told Scott, ‘I owe you another gig’.
“I love it there, it’s the highlight of my year.”
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