110 years old, TikTok singer Amy Hawkins becomes viral sensation

110 years old, TikTok singer Amy Hawkins becomes viral sensation

 

A 110-year-old great-grandmother has become an overnight singing sensation on TikTok.

Amy Hawkins' rendition of the popular World War One song It's A Long Way to Tipperary was captured by her great-grandson on her milestone birthday.

Since then Sacha, 14, has clocked up 100,000 views of the video.

Ms Hawkins, of Monmouth, was a performer and at Sacha's age toured the UK - but her mother banned her from the stage, as it was not "respectable".

Sacha's mother Hannah Freeman, said the reaction to the video on the social media site has "restored faith in humanity".

Ms Hawkins, aged seven at the end of the war, has sung songs from that era ever since.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTHANNAH FREEMAN

image captionAs a teenager Ms Hawkins was eventually banned from performing by her mother, who said it was "not a respectable job"

"She's like a clock, once you wind her up she won't stop. She just keeps asking, 'Would you like another one?'," said Ms Freeman, her granddaughter.

Ms Hawkins was touring with a dance group when her mother banned her from such a career.

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She now lives with three other generations of her family and Ms Freeman said they "feel very lucky" to have been able to spend lockdown together.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTHANNAH FREEMAN

image captionAmy Hawkins, 110, sang World War One classic It's A Long Way To Tipperary - she was aged seven when the war ended

"Gran is the centre of it all - we just pivot around her," she said.

The TikTok app, which only launched in 2016, currently has more than one billion users, who create and share short videos on the platform.

IMAGE COPYRIGHTHANNAH FREEMAN

image captionSacha said he has loved seeing all the comments from people who miss their family

Ms Freeman said she was "almost joking" when she suggested Sacha should feature her in a video, but they "could not believe" the response.

"She is brilliant, so down to earth, and nothing phases her," she said.

She added Sacha and his great-grandmother had a "real bond" and he "loves her to bits".

'Difficult time for everyone'

"Reading the comments, people have been in tears, because they miss their family or about family they have lost," she said.

"I think that has been a real lesson for Sacha too and has restored my faith in humanity in such a difficult time for everyone."

Sacha said his highlight has been seeing all the comments about "people missing their family during Covid and how lovely my grandma is".

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