SPREADING THE SUNSHINE

The Jive Aces have found the winning formula that "cures all the blues". With over 3.6 million views on YouTube, Bring Me Sunshine is the antidote for those demoralising days. All very useful with constant reminders on TV that COVID-19 is just around the corner.

One day, after performing at the Horse Guards Parade in London, the band was invited to meet HRH Prince Charles. Ian couldn't resist but perform for His Royal Highnesses and serenaded him with Bring Me Sunshine. HRH loved the song and was very interested in the uke.

The band performed the song with many talented artists, including Nottingham's TV celebrity Rebecca Grant (Holby City, Emmerdale Farm) who is one of their regular female singers and also recorded the song for charity with Eric and Little Ern (Morcambe & Wise top tribute act) in aid of the Berkshire Flood Relief Fund. The song is also used to promote the charity Solar Aid, providing solar lights to Malawi and Zambia.

Very soon the yellow ukulele became integral part of the Jive Aces live shows and was there at each performance. Ian learnt to play it more and more until he became known as Mr Ukulele.

With the release of the Bring Me Sunshine music video, ukuleles were reaching all corners of the world and the uke was making a come back in popularity, so much so that many British schools sidelined their recorders and replaced them with ukuleles in teaching children music.

Ian recalls: "I remember practicing my chords on the ukulele until my fingers hurt. When the skin started to harden I knew I would not feel pain anymore as I conditioned my fingers and practised my hand positioning. I remember feeling so happy and wanted everyone to get the same happiness that that small instrument brought to my life. My life really changed after I got a ukulele and I want to thank my dear wife for getting me one for Christmas which hooked me right there and then onto this ''happy instrument" as I call it. And Bring Me Sunshine will pick you up from the negativedom to positivedom in just 3 minutes! Cheapest cure ever!" (Watch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXvJ8UquYoo).

Bring Me Sunshine by the Jive Aces has been used on Strictly Come Dancing three times. All danced the Quickstep and include Lisa Riley, Susan Colman and Ugo Monye on Season 19 .

The Jive Aces have collected numerous awards from all parts of the world for their contribution to music, charity work and their master piece music video production.

For more info visit: https://www.jiveaces.com/