1976-77 Cinderella, Cardiff New Theatre -30kb
1977 Dick Whittington, Theatre Royal, Newcastle -50kb
1978 Babes in the Wood, Bradford Alhambra -22kb
1979 Babes in the Wood, Bristol Hippodrome -21kb
1980 Jack in the Beanstalk, Gaumont Theatre, Doncaster.-21kb

Like Dick Whittington, the panto' role in which she is currently wowing Newcastle audiences, Welsh singer Tammy Jones is a first rate trier.

Now, at the ripe old age of 33, in show biz terms, she is busy catching up on some of the success she feels has eluded her for more than 15 years.

Ironic, therefore, that the song entitled "Let Me Try Again" should secure for her the most vital break, a coveted spot on the star-spawning 'Opportunity Knocks' programme.

"But this was my third attempt," admits the forthright Ms. Jones in her native Welsh lilt. "I'd already failed twice", adding with an impish grin, "Well, I was only 12 when I started trying."

To Tammy, that song was very special for a number of reasons. "The words were very important to me," she says. "I'd just broken up with my boyfriend and each time I sang it I was singing it to him asking him to let me try again. I was also asking the public to let me try again as I'd so very nearly made it once before. You see, my heart was in that song."

So much so, obviously, that her third Opportunity Knocks attempt proved lucky. "At the audition, the other artists got up and cheered when I'd finished. And they said to me, If you sing like that on the show, you've made it'."

Which is exactly what she did. She cleaned up the votes-the bulk of which came curiously from Scotland-in a convincing win to find opportunities bombarding her. The record followed, shooting straight to number two in the charts, so very nearly Top of the Pops.

And what of her erstwhile boyfriend? Did he ever know of her efforts? "Yes, I should think so. Although we had by this time broken up. I used to cry a lot at nights then, too. Someone once said to me, after I'd sung the song. Whoever that guy is he's a lucky devil....."?

While it still affects her, Tammy can admit that right up until last month, she held private hopes that her song would come true. "Then I heard he'd got married, so that's that, isn't it'?" she says a trifle wistful.

Although it looked like it at the time, Hughie Green's show was not the beginning of the road for Tammy Jones.

"People think that that show made me. It's not true. I was not an overnight success. More than 10 years previously, I'd had my own show on Welsh television called Tammy.At 17, I was the first Welsh pop singer (singing in Welsh) and appeared on various shows, Sunday Night at the London Palladium, The Dick Emery Show, The Tom Jones Show-that was when I nearly made it the first time. But not quite. So it was back into the clubs, and did I work. I was doing three clubs a night. Now I don't do as many a week."

Bangor-born Tammy, pronounced B-anger, is as proudly patriotically Welsh as a true Geordie is a Geordie. She freely admits her deep debt to her North Wales upbringing. Singing, after all, is what the Welsh do naturally. And Tammy has been exercising her vocal chords since she could walk. Organised singing soon took over in the form of children's choirs, the Chapel, Eisteddfods.

Ultimately airing her voice became more than a pastime. When her mother saved to send her to the Guildhall School of Music, it became her vocation. There she was drilled in the rigid discipline of operatic singing. "I passed with honours", she tells you with just pride. "I was offered an opera scholarship" but in deference to the dedication required, she turned it down.

However her operatic training dies hard. "Good talent in music isn't appreciated these days by the public, is it? I used to have opera singers on my telly show. They sang far better than I but they were earning far less".

"And pop singers are paid six times better than I am. Yet many can't sing. I say they can't sing. I know they can't sing, but that's what the public wants so what does it matter" . . . she shrugs.

Judging by Tammy's bulging calendar for 78, it seems her resilience and hard graft have paid off. Cabaret, seaside summer season with Les Dawson, two exotic world cruises. And with luck, another Christmas panto to come home to.

She brightens at the thought.

"I'm mad about kids, you see," then interrupts herself, hang on, I have to translate, I think in Welsh . . . "the only shameful thing about being my age and unmarried, is children. I just love kids. . ." And judging by the delighted response of local panto-going youngsters, the feeling is mutual.

You can still see Tammy in her lead role of Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal, Grey Street, Newcastle, until Saturday, February 4.

.............................................NB: Thursday. Jan 26th 1978 by Feona McEwan