A Preston songwriter is celebrating victory after co-writing the winner’s song for American Idol.
Greg Holden wrote the song for worker Phillip Phillips, 21, from Georgia who gave an emotional performance of the song ‘Home’. It has been released as his debut single.
Greg, who was once a student at Runshaw College, wrote the track with LA writer Drew Pearson. Greg won the Preston Evening Post’s Battle of the Bands competition in 2005 and moved to New York in 2009.
He tweeted: “Well done Phillip Phillips!
“Hard to believe a song @drewwpearson and I wrote one afternoon just won American Idol.”
Greg was born in Morecambe and attended St Patrick’s Primary School, Heysham.
St Patrick’s former headteacher Les Turner said: “Apparently him and another guy sat down and wrote it in just over two hours.
“132m voted (in the American Idol final), it was the biggest response in TV history.
“Greg is a great lad, he was lovely in primary school.
“It’s just great to see an ex-pupil have success.”
The song was originally written for Greg to sing but was submitted to American Idol programme as a possible finale number.
Greg studied at Leyland St Mary’s Catholic Technology College and the University of Central Lancashire. He has played gigs in Holland, Germany and Denmark.
Mr Turner added: “He went down a storm in Holland and Germany.”