When you think about a pop star, a young man from rural Australia probably doesn’t cross your mind. And when you think of a man from rural Australia, you probably don’t picture him singing a Gloria Gaynor song.
Tim Rossington is the baby-faced 24-year-old who blew the judges away on X Factor Australia back in 2014.
The youngest child of seven, the singer fully expected people to have never heard of his hometown. And, well, he was right. But he also believes that no one is defined by their place of birth.
“Just ‘cause you’re from the country doesn’t mean you can’t be a big shot in a big city,” he said before starting his performance.
And even though Rossington described himself as “baby-faced”, his voice was anything but little.
The audience and the judges both seemed to be taken aback when he said that he would be singing Gloria Gaynor’s powerhouse classic “I Will Survive.”
Then, when he began to sing, most people couldn’t believe the music was coming from the man on the stage.
Immediately, a cheer went up, people screaming with excitement and amazement at the sound.
Rossington performed with so much skill and energy. It seemed totally effortless for him to belt out Gaynor’s challenging song, even while accompanying himself on the guitar. His performance was fresh and unaffected. It was just one man with a guitar, enjoying himself onstage. He said he was putting himself through college by performing at weddings and parties. At that moment, he appeared as comfortable as though he was playing for a small party and not on national television!
There’s no doubt that “I Will Survive” requires a huge vocal range.
While it’s an incredibly difficult song, it didn’t pose any challenge for Rossington, who was obviously enjoying himself.
When he finished, Rossington got a standing ovation from the judges. Backstage, his family, who had come to support, jumped up and down and hugged one another.
“Wow, that is so original,” said one of the judges. “I like that, ‘cause it’s got a lot of energy. You put so much passion and you’ve got that twang and stuff.”
Other judges praised him for his unique vibe and energy.
One judge jokingly said that if she went to a pub where he was playing, she’d wonder what they were putting in the drinks.
“Disco, whoa!” she said. “Just when you said, you know, ‘I’m a pub singer and I’m getting myself through uni, I thought, ‘Okay, lots of pub singers just sit in the corner …. Music in the background.’ Not Timmy! I love that.”
Since his performance on X Factor Australia, Rossington has gone on to develop a career in music.
Nowadays, he doesn’t just play covers, but his own music, as well. Of course, he still loves to play back home in Glen Innes with his family. There’s no doubt there are great things ahead for this powerful-voiced singer from the rural Australian country.
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