At the age of 87, John Leonard Tucker may not fully grasp contemporary music, but he undoubtedly understands the power of music, and at nearly ninety, he can still convey that power through his voice. Most importantly, he can do so alongside his beloved granddaughter, Yazzy Tucker.
For Yazzy, this is a dream come true, as she has always admired her grandfather’s voice since she can remember. “When I hear my grandpa’s voice, it’s the most enchanting, most pleasing sound,” she told The Epoch Times.
This musical duo hails from the North Devon District in England, where John has spent his life farming, and where his granddaughter is now pursuing her own musical career.
John has spent his life inspiring his family and community with his beautiful singing. In recent years, his vision has been diminishing, to the point where he can hardly see anything anymore, which has been a devastating blow as he can no longer see the lyrics and sheet music of the songs he wants to sing.
Yazzy mentioned that overall, it has been quite challenging for her grandfather, as he has always been very active. Despite John’s struggles to adapt, he continues to make an effort to attend his granddaughter’s performances, sometimes even sharing the stage with her in singing. Most of Yazzy’s life has been spent creating music with her grandfather, so she has found ways to use music to help him stay vibrant.
Initially, she would merely share some of her “snippet songs” on social media. One day, she decided to post a video of a performance with her grandpa. “I uploaded a video of us singing together on stage,” she said. “I never expected everyone to love my grandpa so much!”
This unexpected turn of events led Yazzy to start teaching her grandfather new songs, not just sticking to the ones he was used to. She admitted that her grandpa doesn’t always appreciate these contemporary songs, but he enjoys singing with her, so he is always willing to learn.
As John can’t see the lyrics or sheet music, Yazzy has to patiently teach him bit by bit, gradually introducing new melodies or lyrics to him.
The first song they shared as a duo on social media was the well-known Christmas carol “O Holy Night,” which garnered 15,000 views, already a significant achievement in Yazzy’s eyes. However, as they continued to perform and share more videos, their content has attracted millions of viewers.
Their heartfelt singing even caught the attention of the famous British band Coldplay. One day, while Yazzy was at the beach with her grandparents, she saw Coldplay’s comment on one of their videos. It felt surreal to her, as she had often been told that she needed to move to London to succeed in her music career.
However, Coldplay’s feedback on her songs reaffirmed her belief that prioritizing family does not hinder her music career. Yazzy admitted that gaining recognition on social media has been valuable for her career, but spending time with her aging grandparents is what drives her forward.
“I urge everyone reading this article,” she said, “if they’re lucky enough to still have their grandparents around, to spend more time with them, even if it’s just to have a cup of tea together. It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and forget to care about them. The most important thing I’ve learned from this experience is the genuine pride and joy I feel for everything I’ve done.”
Anyone interested in Yazzy and her grandfather’s music can find them on her Instagram account @yazzy_music. She recently released a new song called “Only Little,” which tells the story of a young girl spending time with her grandparents, available to listen to on Spotify.