Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan has opened up about the terrifying attack he suffered in New York last month during his American tour.
The 26-year-old Little Bit Of Love hitmaker was assaulted outside a bar following a gig in Manhattan, which knocked him out, leaving him with a ruptured ear, torn ear drum, concussion and problems to a previously fractured jaw.
The British star was forced to cancel his subsequent date in Washington as doctors assessed his injuries.
Looking back at the incident, in which he was also robbed, Grennan told The Sun: “I was in the wrong part of town really, stupidly. I went for a few drinks after a gig to celebrate, and I don’t really know New York, but it turned out to be wrong place at the wrong time.
“I couldn’t let it spoil the experience and it didn’t, I’ll never forget that trip and we went to Australia straight after. It has been the most incredible year or two for me.”
At the time, fans were shocked to hear of the attack, with one Twitter follower writing: “Oh my god, Jesus… I’m in shock. What the hell is going on on this planet? I have no words, get well soon Tom.”
Another wrote: “I can’t still believe it. I can't help imagining the scene of the attack. I feel so sad for you.
“Give us news asap. Hope you'll get well soon Tom. You're a so beautiful person. This world is inhuman.”
It’s been a rapid rise to stardom for the former promising footballer who was once on the books of Luton Town, but who ended a potential professional career as he didn’t think he’d make it. Instead, he concentrated on his studies before picking up a guitar, teaching himself to play and performing gigs around London, writing his own songs.
He was spotted playing in a pub in Finsbury Park, as he explained: “Amazingly I was in the pub when a guy from Sony Music wanders over and asks me if I wrote the tunes. He took my email address and encouraged me to record a few bits.
“I did and put them out online. Suddenly I was meeting other labels too, but I signed with the guy who first spotted me.”
He has since enjoyed two top-10 singles, sang on the Artists for Grenfell record Bridge Over Troubled Water, which reached the top spot, while his latest album, Evening Road, also hit No.1 on the charts. As well as commercial success, he has also achieved critical success in the music industry, too
He added: “I came to it late, but when it happened it was fast and very organic — in a way that doesn’t seem to happen often any more.”
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