She may have enjoyed a career on stage which has taken her across the globe, but on each tour, each rehearsal, each show, Beverley Knight MBE has had one eye on Wolves.
Hailing from Wolverhampton, Knight is deemed by many as one of the country’s greatest ever soul singers, and her career, which began in 1994, has produced nine studio albums, ten tours and a regular place on the West End down in London.
The latest of those tours – 50 Tour – brought Knight back to her hometown last week, as she performed at the Halls, and while back in a WV postcode she couldn’t resist a visit to Compton Park to watch Gary O’Neil’s squad in training.
Welcomed behind the scenes, Knight watched O’Neil’s players out on the grass, before meeting them off the pitch. Having chatted to the likes of Nelson Semedo, Sam Johnstone and Jorgen Strand Larsen, the Wolverhampton legend was then handed a ‘Knight 9’ shirt by O’Neil – her favourite number hailing from her affection to a certain Steve Bull MBE.
Speaking exclusively to wolves.co.uk after her visit, but before meeting her mother, who still lives a stone’s throw from Compton Park, Knight explained just how she follows the Old Gold while balancing a life on the road in showbusiness.
“I've got always got the game on the bus, that’s big time important,” she explained. “In rehearsal, the big production rehearsal I did for this tour, before we went out, we were singing away, but on the side was the stream. Everywhere we go, we love football in our band. It’s not just me, there's a whole bunch of us.
“I've got the apps, I've got fan apps, I've got the official apps, I get my notifications. I've got friends who obviously support other teams, and we always talk football. And when I'm on the road, if we’re not talking about music and arrangements, we're talking about football and the results. ‘What's the score? What's happening at half-time? Where are we?’”
A special visitor at Compton 💛
— Wolves (@Wolves) September 26, 2024
It was lovely to have you here, @Beverleyknight! pic.twitter.com/Gm4coyX1am
Born in 1973, with Wolves the runners up of the UEFA Cup [now the Europa League] at the time, Knight was always destined to become a member of the pack. Proud of her roots wherever she goes, she wasn’t even alive when her colours were nailed to the mast.
“On the day my mum and dad got married, 12th October 1968, Wolves were playing at home, and the police had to escort my mum to the church because of the throng of people that were out to support the lads. And I think that made such an impression on my mum and my dad.
“My dad's always been cricket, but both of them, mum and dad, always said to me that supporting the community that is around you is paramount, and the way I did that was through music and through sport and especially through Wolves. So, they're very dear to me.”
Sadly, a career on the road makes attending Molineux matchdays difficult for Knight and her band, which made the Compton visit all the more special.
Knight was awarded an MBE in 2006 and was bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to music. 12 years later she was presented with the Freedom of the City of Wolverhampton. A massive name which wasn’t lost of members of the Wolves squad.
It's easy to think Knight could no longer feel starstruck, but at Compton Park last Wednesday, going face to face with the Wolves players she’s so often cheers on from her tour bus, the legendary singer and actress admitted to feeling a little emotional.
“I actually cried. I had a little tear. I spent quite a lot of time crying in Wolverhampton over the 24 hours. It was magnificent, an absolute dream, overwhelming.
“My lovely friend Carl McGregor has got long standing ties with our team – he helps with entertainment. And he said, ‘Oh, would you like to come down to the training ground’. So, he set it up with the club, who kindly allowed me to come and just watch a bit of the lads training and I was just overwhelmed and overjoyed.
“The lads are so lovely. I kept thinking, ‘God, they're so young’. And I thought, ‘Oh my God, my age, my age’. But my first impression was they're all giants, and I'm not. They're so full of life and enthusiasm. And you can see, just watching them train, they're really passionate about this. This isn't just coming here and taking a pay check.
“This is real heart, and there's a real cohesion between the lads. I saw them horsing around just as they finished their training and just messing about. And that's what makes team spirit, and I got to see that first hand, and that was wonderful.”
