Now I can only impersonate a frog

LIFE can be so cruel. Earlier this week my animal impressions went global, and the phones started ringing with job offers .... just as I developed bronchitis.
Losing your voice is not a good thing for an animal impersonator.

Last week the Daily Post posted a series of my videos on its website and wrote about them in the paper.
The same day a producer from Roy Noble’s show on BBC Radio Wales emailed me to appear as a guest. I had to turn down the invitation. I could barely speak, let alone crow like a cockerel.
Hopefully I can go on the show in the near future when my voice recovers.
That morning Stan Brown, a friend from Connah’s Quay, phoned to say how much he enjoyed reading the article. 
I‘ve performed my stage act many times for Stan at charity shows he’s organised in Holywell and Connah’s Quay.
“Russell,” he said, “I’d like to invite you to be my guest at a dinner of the Retired Gentlemens Club.  Not to perform, just to come along and have dinner with us.”
He added: “I want you to come along so I can introduce you to my friends to show them I know people in high places.” 
He was jokingly, of course.
Stan continued: “There’s a good photograph of you in the paper but I think they have got your age wrong.” 
“They’ve got you down as 73 but I think they’ve got it back to front, I think they meant 37.”
Flattery works every time.
I enjoyed doing the videos and, in a way, history was repeating itself.
Six years ago, after being featured in the Daily Post, I had a telephone call from California, USA.
 A young lady researcher was calling from America’s most popular late TV programme, the Tonight Show (formerly known as The Johnny Carson Show), now presented by Jay Leno.
She’d seen the Daily Post article on the internet. She said she was looking for an animal impressionist and I was the only one in the world she could find who did a range of imitations. 
Within a few days I was winging my way to Los Angeles and Hollywood. I had a great time. All the crew were great.
Jay Leno was smashing and even came into my dressing room (which had my own nameplate!)  to have a chat before the show. 
They were all very complimentary about my subsequent performance.
When I was returning home, via Los Angeles airport, I was sitting on a bench, reading a paper, when a man came up to me and said: “Hey, weren’t you on the Jay Leno Show last night?”
“Did you see me on TV?” I asked.
“No, I was in the audience - and I thought you were very good,” he said.
I had a very self-satisfied flight home.

To view my videos, click here http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/dailypost/news/wales/tm_headline=russell-rees-davies-%2D-animal-impressionist%26method=full%26objectid=18547937%26siteid=50142-name_page.html