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Lee's hotline to Simply Red star
From the Bolton Evening News, first published Monday 29th May 2000.
SUPERSTAR Mick Hucknall, frontman with Simply Red, made a dream come true for a young autistic boy from Blackrod.
Millions of television viewers saw the star sing one of his hits, Something Got Me Started, and dedicated it to 12-year-old Lee Foster from Ridgeway on Saturday night.
And it was all thanks to Lee's mum Nerris, who read about the live show last week and rang up researchers at Granada to see if she could have a song dedicated to her son who is 'Simply Red mad'.
Nerris told the BEN: "I didn't really think I had a chance because thousands of people had rung in. But they rang me back at 3.30pm on Saturday and asked me to make sure my phone line was clear that night, because there was a chance I could talk to Mick Hucknall."
Nerris then got another call at 9.45pm telling her she was one of only six callers who had a chance of getting on.
At this point Nerris realised that she would be speaking in front of millions of viewers and the nerves set in.
"I was in two minds whether to answer the phone if it rang again," she admits.
And then at 9.55pm a researcher rang back and told Nerris that her request for Lee would be opening the show. "My mouth went dry. Firstly they put me on to Ulrika Jonsson, and then they put me on to Mick. I didn't know what to say.
She told Mick that Lee just had to hear MIck's voice and his face "beamed." And she asked him to sing Lee's favourite song.
She told Mick: "He knows all the words to it." At this point Ulrika interrupted and asked Nerris was Lee still up. I said yes, and Ulrika asked Mick to give Lee a wave, which he did.
"Lee was absolutely thrilled. He loves music and Simply Red are his favourite band."
And then to Lee's delight his hero sang the song and dedicated it to him. Lee's autism means that he has learning difficulties, but Nerris says that the devotion showed by staff at Woodside has seen Lee take great strides.
"He's come on much more than we expected because the staff at Woodside are marvellous with him."
She went on: "There are three things in life that Lee loves. Music, snooker and swimming. That's his little world. And having Mick Hucknall sing a song for him was a once in a lifetime experience."
And Lee can live his special moment again and again, because his clever mum remembered to video the show Simply Red: Live for You'or as its known in the Foster household -- Live for Lee.
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