John Barrowman reveals the song he’s planning to sing on his UK tour that makes him cry every time

John Barrowman is preparing for lots of tears on his new tour and that’s just on stage.

Glasgow-born entertainer John Barrowman has recorded a version of Loch Lomond for his latest album and he’s planning to sing it live when he comes home.

There’s just one problem he can’t make it all the way through without crying!

“Although I live in a different country, my heart is still in Scotland,” the 48-year-old said.

“I think people become more Scottish when they go away and I’ve always been very proud of my heritage. The song is a tribute to that heritage and also my parents.

“My mum can’t listen to it, she says it takes her back to my gran and papa and our cousins in Shettleston.

“I can’t get through it without tearing up, so I’m not sure how I’ll manage on stage.

“When I played Glasgow and Edinburgh on the last tour, I did a Scottish trilogy for those shows.

“When the audience started singing along, I choked up.

“Then I turned to my drummer, who’s also Scottish, and he was crying his eyes out.”

John’s parents, Marion and John, will be on tour with John and making an appearance on stage, too.

“Every tour, I get my parents involved one way or another,” he explained.

“For instance, one year I was singing Remember When, which describes how a couple’s lives progressed, and I had dancers come out while I sang.

“Just before the end, the stage went dark and when the lights came back on it was my mum and dad dancing.

“The last tour, Dad was dressed as Bob the Builder and Mum was a sexy police officer, and we sang YMCA.

“They’re typical Glaswegians of that generation they don’t need much of an excuse to have a good time!”

John, who emigrated to America with his parents and two siblings when he was eight, remains very close to his family.

“My parents live just up the road from me and my husband Scott in Palm Springs.

“I still go over for my tea every Sunday.

“All of the family still in Scotland will be at the Glasgow show and I always make sure they’re well looked after.

“It’s my cousin’s 40th wedding anniversary while we’re over, so my parents will go to that and re-join the tour a few days later.”

The tour, You Raise Me Up, is his first in four years and had to be scheduled two years ago to fit in with the actor, singer and presenter’s busy schedule.

Named after his latest album, John revealed this is one record he really owes to the fans.

“When the recession hit and all the record companies went through their problems, if you weren’t on the top tier you were asked to go, and that’s what happened to me.

“I was cut. It wasn’t a big deal and I knew it was nothing personal.

“A while later I did a talk at a big Doctor Who convention and told the story. Someone in the audience said I should fan-fund a new album.

“I didn’t know what he was talking about but I looked into it.”

The result was John working with Pledgemusic, a scheme being used more and more, often by big-name acts, to fund their new albums.

It works by asking fans to buy the record before it’s made, to raise the money needed for recording and production.

“I didn’t want people just to think I was taking their money from them, so if you pledged a certain amount you could come into the studio or have afternoon tea and a Q&A with me.

“I wanted to make sure I gave back and we funded it in no time.”

John currently stars in comic book US TV series Arrow, where he plays Malcolm Merlyn, but says he would love to return to the Doctor Who universe one day.

“I haven’t heard anything about a Doctor Who movie, but I would love to be involved,” he admitted.

“My character, Captain Jack, was voted one of the top two Doctor Who companions of all time and only lost out on top place by 1%.

“I’m always interested in Doctor Who whether it’s the show or a movie and the team at Arrow are big fans of it, too.”

John Barrowman: You Raise Me Up Edinburgh Playhouse, June 2, Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, June 4.