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Artist pops up all over the web

Emma Fitzgerald
21/12/2006

A SALFORD-born performing artist has become an internet hit after making a series of pop music videos for deaf people.

Tyrone Whittle, 43, started performing his sign-language dance routines after a life-long interest in using movement to communicate and in a bid to impress his former partner.

He now has a repertoire of dances where he signs the lyrics for hit songs by bands such as Oasis, the Arctic Monkeys and the Smiths.

And Tyrone's dance moves have impressed people so much that his work has now been posted on the top video-sharing website YouTube.

He said: "It's very difficult to explain why. I've always been interested in using my hands to communicate.

"Then my ex-wife complained that I never did anything romantic for her.

"I know it sounds strange but I decided I would impress her by learning sign language and performing a dance for her using signing.

"Things have just spun out from there and I have performed in the street and at music festivals. I have only had four dance lessons in my life but when I do it I feel so alive."

Tyrone, who now lives in Swindon, said he learned British Sign Language from a book but later made friends with other sign-language users.

His repertoire now includes more than 50 pop and rock songs by acts such as The Verve, James and Coldplay.

Although unemployed, the ex-roofer has performed his energetic routines at music festivals up and down the country over the last three years and has also worked on projects for deaf and disabled people.

The dad-of-four's act has been hailed as one of the most energetic around.

He admits his performances get a mixed response from the deaf community because he uses a mixture of British Sign Language.

He said: "It gets praise from people who have had hearing but have since gone deaf.

"Some people don't like it because I don't use a pure version of BSL."

Click on the link below to see Tyrone in action