'I'm 73 but I still love Christmas and here's my bid for a Number 1' says Sunderland musician
Sunderland musician Derek Buckham is definitely in the Christmas mood with his bid for a festive Number 1.
The 73-year-old musician has released his seasonal hit which is called Christmas Spirit Is Everywhere under his performing name of Tokyo Rose.
‘It’s lovely to see the Christmas lights starting to appear’
It’s a catchy number and you can hear an extract of it in our attached video.
But we wanted to know how Derek was inspired to launch his early bid for chart stardom.
He told us: “Imagine going through a winter without a Christmas Day. Well that inspired this song.
“During my working life, as the days become shorter and you are travelling to and from work in the dark, it’s lovely to see the Christmas lights starting to appear.
‘Over commercialised? Not for me, I love the build up’
“The words in the song celebrate our culture and how miserable a winter would be without a Christmas. Over commercialised? Not for me, I love the build up.”
Derek is a former piping engineer who worked in the nuclear industry at Plymouth, Sellafield, and Dounreay for more than 20 years.
He began travelling the country to work when music couldn’t provide him with a living to support his family.
‘Everyone wants a Christmas number 1’
"I’ve always written Christmas songs and everyone wants a Christmas number 1,” said Derek who is Sunderland-born and bred and has also lived in Washington.
He has had annual bids for a Christmas hit such as It’s Xmas Eve in 2022, and Santa Claus Song in 2023.
Derek added: “When I was a kid if I wanted a pair of football boots I had to wait until Christmas, my kids had to wait until the weekend.
“The excitement for me is still there that’s why every year I write a Christmas Song.”
Christmas Spirit Is Everywhere by Tokyo Rose can be viewed by visiting bit.ly/48Zxtou.