Business News
Academy boss relishes return to centre stage
‘A cross between Beyonce and Kelis’ awaits 1,400 guests at Birmingham’s biggest business dinner – according to entrepreneur Tru Powell. Tru, along with identical twin brother Pelego and original founder
Angie Daniels, are the musical brains at the helm of the Aston Performing Arts Academy, who will be providing the entertainment at the Chambers of Commerce’s annual dinner. It’s the fourth year on the trot that the Aston troupe will have
performed at Birmingham’s biggest business event, testimony to the talent unearthed by one of the West Midlands’ most productive performing and creative arts organisations. The Arts Academy was launched in 2005 by Angie Daniels. Self-styled entrepreneur Tru, who had worked in the events sector with Marketing Birmingham and RoSPA, originally booked the performers, who range in age from six to 25, for his wedding in July, 2010. It was to prove a watershed moment. “I needed a choir for my wedding – a lightbulb went on and I
‘The academy is set to again wow Birmingham’s business leaders at the Chambers’ March annual dinner’
realised that I could work with these people.” The wedding day booking was to eventually lead Tru to his current
Drivetime pair: Ed with his co-presenter Gemma Hil “Mick Hucknall didn’t want to
speak, I don’t know if he was tired, he was not really engaging. Alicia Keys has an amazing voice but came on the show and refused to sing – it may have been too early for her.” Not that Ed has lost too much of
what little sleep he manages worrying over the rare broadcasting downs. “Most people we chat to are brilliant. I never really think that anything goes too wrong – people don’t want to hear a robot, they know what it is like to hear people make a mistake. I may stumble and say the wrong thing but that is part of life – so long as you don’t swear...”
‘It’s the biggest dinner in Birmingham, there are 1,400 people there. You don’t take that lightly’
Ed, who is looking forward to
hosting the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce annual dinner at the ICC on 19 March, has seen a considerable change in his working life since switching to the drivetime show on Heart following years of 4.30am alarm clock calls. “I have been doing a breakfast
show for 20 years, which is just under half my life. My body clock still wakes me up at 5 to 5.30am. I was excited to get a lie-in. “Now I do the school run from Studley to Bromsgrove. I have
missed out on so much of my children’s lives. I am now seeing a lot more of them as they grow up.” After the school run with Jack, 16,
Jacob, 15 and 13-year-old Jaime, Ed heads off to work at HDY Agency, the marketing operation he has set up with co-founder Angel Gaskell at the Custard Factory, which has already grown to employ 19 people since its launch 18 months ago. And he’s writing a self-improvement book, ‘Be More’, with co-authors Mark and Nicky Taylor. But broadcasting remains his
first love, and he’s quick to acknowledge the debt he owes to heroes such as former BRMB breakfast DJ Les Ross and the late Terry Wogan. “Les was so quick, so clever, so
funny, he didn’t care, he did it his way. And he’s a genuinely nice guy. Terry Wogan was fantastic. “I listen to Nick Ferrari on LBC a
lot. He’s completely on top of his game, he’s ahead of the big stories of the day – he doesn’t hedge or waffle.” Ed has hosted Chamber events in
the past but regards the annual dinner as the big one. “There’s excitement but there’s also apprehension. It’s the biggest dinner in Birmingham, there are 1,400 people there. You don’t take that lightly, it’s a genuine honour to be asked.” At least this year Ed will be able
to sleep in until the school run beckons the morning after the blue riband event…
role as creative and events director, where he is everything from song and dance co-ordinator to father figure to the youngsters. “It was originally set up for disadvantaged young people – some of
them come with baggage. We have a core team of 10, music managers, development managers, tutors. It is those people who look after the students and make the academy work. They give their time to nurture the next generation of emerging talent.” The academy is proud of a number of success stories, including
Corey Weeks, who has appeared in Coronation Street, rapper Lady Leshurr and saxophonist Xhosa Cole, the BBC Young Jazz Musician in 2018. Now, following appearances at the likes of the Bullring, Selfridges
and other prestige locations, the academy is set to again wow Birmingham’s business leaders at the Chambers’ March annual dinner. “This is the fourth year running. It’s a huge, huge platform for us - it
brings so much to the region. We are looking for a cross between Beyonce and Kelis, that kind of feel.”
Aston Performing Arts Academy TURN TO PAGE 19 FOR THE FULL AWARDS SHORTLIST March 2020 CHAMBERLINK 17
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