Pianist says finding fame at 92 is 'unbelievable'

Richard Cameron, 92, has found a new fanbase online after a career as a hotel pianist

A pianist who spent his career playing in York and London hotels has said it is "unbelievable" that he has found online fame at the age of 92.

Professional musician Karl Mullen posted videos of Richard Cameron playing on YouTube, where they generated thousands of views.

Mr Cameron, from York, retired from performing in public 13 years ago but said his new profile had been a "nice surprise".

He is particularly popular with female fans and many of his followers are Hungarian.

Mr Cameron said he sometimes suffered from knuckle pain while playing but that the piano kept him mentally alert.

He said: “I think that is one of the joys you get, you go into the world which is very focused and it keeps your mind trim.

“Nothing ever happened before I retired, so this fame happening all of a sudden at 92 is unbelievable and a nice surprise, although a bit nerve-wracking.

“All my girlfriends seem to have gone absolutely mad, and I’ve got quite a following in Hungary.”

Despite having had two heart attacks and suffering from kidney problems, Mr Cameron plays for around 15 minutes each day.

He and Mr Mullen, 53, became friends when they worked together in York.

Some of the songs Mr Mullen has uploaded onto his channel of Mr Cameron playing include Stevie Wonder’s I Wish, Frank Sinatra’s The Way You Look Tonight, and Flight of the Bumblebee.

Mr Mullen said: “We met when I was training to be a chef in my 20s. I walked into the-then Viking Hotel in York waiting for my interview with the kitchen, and I could hear a piano in the hotel.

“It was so beautiful I thought it was a recording, but it turned out to be Richard. I ended up getting the job and the chef let me work part-time so I could also gig.

“On my breaks at work I would sit with Richard and just watch him - he was such an inspiration.”

Mr Mullen plays around the city, but added: “I’ll be amazed if I’m still able to play at that age like Richard can, it is amazing."

Although self-taught, Mr Cameron went to London as a young man to launch a musical career, before he returned to York and got a job in a glassworks.

He managed to persuade the management of the Churchill Hotel on Bootham to let him play, and though he was unpaid at first, later got work at the Viking and the Mount Royale.

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