A retired medical assistant who has performed with the Beatles wowed nursing home residents with an impromptu performance at a fundraiser.
Staff at Park View Nursing Home in Liverpool had organised a picnic party with games and refreshments for their residents, family, friends as part of a fundraiser in July. Guests were enjoying a performance from vocalist Toni Nesbitt when Dave Williams asked if he could sing a song himself.
Dave, the father of Park View’s chef Debbie Williams, stood up and blew the entire room away with a rendition of Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers. Having previously sung with The Beatles on three occasions, Dave blew residents away with his stellar performance.
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He said: "When I got up my daughter was begging me to sit back down but I’m glad I didn’t. One of the audience was a patient with dementia - after my performance I saw her singing the song to herself, which was brilliant.
"I owe my life and my happiness to the NHS. I know it’s going through a bad patch but it really is an excellent service with excellent people who give 100%."
Dave started working at Sefton General Hospital when he was just 15 and spent his free time practicing with his band called The Dices. His band appeared alongside The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr at the Morgue Skiffle Cellar in Broadgreen in 1958.
Dave decided to go solo when he was 17 and secured a gig singing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for £3 a night at a small club in Brighton. He sang with The Beatles at Knotty Ash Village Hall in Liverpool in 1961 after his friend asked the band if he could get up and sing with them.
He also performed in front of hundreds of people, including Mel C of the Spice Girls, at Paul McCartney's 58th Birthday on June 17 2000 at the Linda McCartney Centre in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
He added: "It was all surreal and something I will never ever forget. The gig at Knotty Ash was a bit awkward, I may have been a bit out of key but I got a good clap. At Paul’s birthday, people from around the world came to be there. I’ve been lucky to have these experiences."
Dave has also worked for the NHS for nearly 50 years, working in operating theatres around Merseyside whilst sharing his love for music. Wellbeing Coordinator Jodie Solaiman, 25, described how stunned audience members were at his incredibly passionate performance and powerful voice.
She said: "Words can’t explain how we all felt after his performance. Dave has lived an incredible life, to say the least. He has said he would love to perform for us again."
Jodie shared the video of Dave to Park View’s TikTok profile, where it has now amassed over 500,000 views. The video has gained comments from viewers across the world, praising Dave for singing his heart out and inspiring people to enjoy themselves.
The incredible online reaction has been astounding for Dave, who doesn’t use social media and had not even heard about the social media app before his viral stunt. Dave was dumbfounded when he went into his local betting shop the following day and the whole shop was clapping and cheering for him.
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