Mickey Callisto wows Britain's Got Talent judges as Sunderland's answer to Freddie Mercury
Meet Mickey Callisto, the Mackem Freddie Mercury who’s been impressing Simon Cowell with his vocal talent.
Mickey, 28, from Town End Farm, gave a powerful performance of Who Wants To Live Forever in front of the BGT judges, earning four yes votes and is now waiting to see if he’ll make it through to the next round of the nation’s biggest talent competition.
It marks the next stage in the Sunderland singer’s career, who performs as a solo act with his own music, as well as impersonating his hero Freddie.
Alesha Dixon said: “Is this Mickey? Is this Freddie? But whatever it was, it’s sensational. Your voice is absolutely stunning.”
Simon Cowell said: “The most important thing about these shows is you’ve got to be remembered and you’ve got to be talked about the following day and people are going to like you Mickey. You’ve got a great personality as well.”
“It’s been crazy,” said Mickey. “I’ve been so overwhelmed by the support from everyone, not just from Sunderland, but around the country.”
Speaking about how he got into singing, Mickey said: “It started when I was seven. The Durham Cathedral choristers came into school and performed and it really made me want to sing. So I taught myself how to sing opera.
“I couldn’t afford to go to the choristers school and later my voice broke, but my teacher said I should listen to Freddie Mercury because of his operatic style and I just fell in love with him.”
Mickey’s real name is Michael Spence, but he took on the name Callisto because of his love of space.
He said “My other ambition in life was to be an astronaut because I love space. I came up with the name Callisto after a moon on Jupiter when I was 14 and at Monkwearmouth School and it was a name that stuck. I always felt more like a Mickey Callisto.”
Mickey is now hoping his BGT performance will bring his own original music to a wider audience after he was approached to appear on the show by producers who spotted him on Tik Tok.
He tours regularly as both an impersonator and with his own uplifting music and home city audiences will next be able to see him in Sunderland when he performs at Monument Festival in Herrington Country Park on July 19.
In the meantime, he’s also launching a new club night at Independent in Holmeside, which starts this Friday, March 28, and will return monthly on the last Friday of every month from 10pm.
The new night is named Homospace after one of Mickey’s early singles and is an inclusive LGBTQIA+ night that promises to celebrate the vibrancy of the queer community, using the power of music to unite people of all walks of life.
Ben Wall from Independent said: “Homospace is a celebration of music and the beauty of embracing one’s authentic identity, and this night embodies those same values creating a safe and open space for all.
“With a warm, welcoming atmosphere at the heart of the event, attendees can expect to experience a night of freedom, self-expression, and of course, incredible music by DJ’s throughout the night.
“Named after one of Mickey’s early singles which describes a nightclub on the moon where everyone is welcome, a place where people can do and be who they want to be. Resident and rotating guest DJs will set the tone, playing everything from nostalgic classics and Italo Disco, through to modern bangers, pop and house.”