Readers Digest UK - December 2021

18 • DECEMBER 2021

A

led himself was still

a child when he joined

Bangor Cathedral choir

as a cherubic Welsh

boy soprano. The

outstanding quality of his voice was

soon recognised and before you

could say “rising star”, he was singing

“Walking in The Air”, the song from

the animated film, The Snowman.

He was 14 when it catapulted him to

stardom and worldwide success.

“It was only meant to be an ad for

Toys ‘R’ Us [a now defunct children’s

toy store]”, says Aled. But when the

song was released in 1985 as a single,

it became a hit, reaching number

five. “No one had ever followed that

path before. I was one of the first

to make that kind of music popular.

Little did I know it would become

part of everyone’s Christmas for

years to come.”

However, Aled insists he was

not a child star. “I was just a singer

who was given great opportunities,”

he says. “Monday to Friday I

was a normal, football-playing

comprehensive schoolboy, then the

weekend would come and I would

be jetting here, there and everywhere

meeting my heroes. I had the best of

both worlds.”

Despite being a shy person and

hating the spotlight (he admits he

still gets stage fright), Aled sang

ENTERTAINMENT

The singer, TV and radio presenter recalls becoming

the soundtrack to everyone’s Christmas as a 14-year-

old soprano, and releasing a children’s book

Aled Jones

By Nicola Venning

On Singing, Setbacks And

The Snowman