THIS teenager is an internet phenomenon and will be supporting an Australian popstar in front of thousands of fans – and he lives on our doorstep. Eighteen-year-old acoustic pop singer Jay Tyrer, of Holton-le-Moor, near Caistor, will warm up the crowd at New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham before award-winning Cody Simpson takes to the stage.
Jay, who has had more than 600,000 hits on YouTube, will perform his own songs Take Some Time and Get It Right, in front of almost 2,000 people.
Jay, a former Caistor Grammar School pupil who lives with his mum, step-dad and two sisters, said: "I won a YouTube competition to be Cody's support act and you had to cover his song Wish You Were Here.
"He choose my version out of hundreds and I am so excited and nervous to perform in front of such a huge crowd.
"This is my first big break and I have something huge coming up in the pipeline, which I can't reveal because I'm sworn to secrecy."
Cody is a huge star in his native Australia. He has 3.1 million Twitter followers and more than 137 million YouTube views.
Jay, who cannot wait to perform as his support act on Saturday, is currently writing new songs for an album. He first discovered his talent for music at the age of 14.
"My songs are about everyday life," he said.
"I would describe my music as easy listening and I get my inspiration from James Morrison, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown. I take inspiration from each of them.
"I began performing on karaoke when I was younger, and then taught myself how to play the guitar."
Jay's manager Gus Goodall said he "will be huge" in the music industry.
"There is something massive happening with him in the next three weeks' but I can't say because of a 15-page secrecy contract I've had to sign," he said.
"It involves a recognised industry professional who we all know.
"Jay is proving to be a huge success – we have plans that will see him tour across 27 counties."
The Grimsby Telegraph will be following Jay's career. If you want to see him in action in Birmingham, tickets cost £18.50 and are available from www.atgtickets.com