Teen singing sensation wows crowds at Belladrum's Tartan Heart Festival

A meteoric rise to fame for a 16-year-old Highland singer saw him take to a stage at the opening of the 20th Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum.

Michael Lewis from Newtonmore took up singing just nine months ago, inspired by watching Frank Sinatra on TikTok.

He has already been booked for Hogmanay in Inverness.

The Kingussie High School sixth year pupil has been doing it “his way” for barely nine months.

He revealed that he had never been to a concert until he sang at one last winter.

The modest teenager discovered the sounds of Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble and other crooners on TikTok.

Michael has since performed their hits at a Christmas school concert, a shinty club event, MacGregor’s Bar in Inverness and the city’s Highland Games.

He topped all that on Thursday evening, taking to “the cool stage” at Belladrum, backed – for the first time – by his own big band.

While Sinatra’s 1950s and ’60s “Rat-Pack” posse was famed for a party lifestyle, Michael has kept a clear head to ponder the contrast between his geography studies and a potential career on stage.

As for showbusiness, the teenager said: “I think I would definitely like to pursue it after school. I’m going into my last year at school just now, so it’s definitely something I’d like to pursue.

“Whether I’m successful at it or not, it’s definitely something I want to pursue.”

Kingussie High School music teacher Lucy Hodes, who accompanied him on piano at the school’s festive concert, said: “If I’m teaching about the Rat-Pack or blues or jazz and I’ve got a pupil coming to me with a recommendation for a song to listen to from a particular performance, for me, it’s great to be able to watch them find their own path and something that suits them.”

Michael’s proud father, a retired policeman, said: “It’s exciting but as a father there’s a bit of nervousness for him because you do that protective thing.

“But he’s got a really good support network around him. Jo de Sylva (MacGregor’s Bars) who’s been helping him through the journey has been very supportive.

“It’s good and exciting and as long as he’s happy, which he is – and enjoying it – then, as a father, what else could I be but happy and proud of him?”

As for the immediate future, Michael has a growing list of bookings including the Inverness Hogmanay show.

Beyond that, he said: “Obviously, it would be very hard to do but my dream is probably to sing at Madison Square Garden with an orchestra, a big-band.

“That would be my dream – which would be a big dream, but that would be my dream.”