Introducing Finley, the canine crooner

Wednesday 13th August 2008, 11:49AM BST.

Perkin Bosworth, from Hughley, with his singing dog Finley.Perkin Bosworth, from Hughley, with his singing dog Finley.

Guests staying at a Shropshire bed and breakfast farmhouse have an unusual singing star to provide evening entertainment – in the form of Finley the dog.

Lurcher Finley loves to throw his head back and howl to his favourite band at Mill Farm, Hughley, near Much Wenlock.

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Finley, owned by Chia Richardson and Perkin Bosworth of Mill Farm, sings after dinner – but only to tracks by Birmingham band UB40.

The seven-year-old rescue dog was adopted by Ms Richardson from a rescue centre when he was just nine months old and it wasn’t until recently that his vocal skills became apparent.

Ms Richardson said: “We play music most evenings at Mill Farm and discovered that Finley would sing along to UB40, especially to his favourite track Red Red Wine.

“He will happily sing alone if we are in another room but will perform for an audience unless he gets very shy, then he hides his nose under his paws.

“If he’s on form, he will throw his head back and yowl along with the music for ages, he seems to really love it.”

Mill Farm is currently attracting visitors from all over the UK and abroad, including students from France, Germany and Greece who want to brush up on their language skills and also improve their horse riding at Mill Farm’s riding centre.

Anyone interested in booking bed and breakfast at Mill Farm, or a riding holiday, should call Chia or Perkin on (01746) 785645.

It would appear that Finley is not the only singing dog, as there is a blog on the internet dedicated to singing dogs, titled Music You (possibly) Won’t Hear Anywhere Else.

It mentions dogs that howl to the tune to Jingle Bells and a full tape of dogs singing to Beatles hits.

The blog mentions that radio stations in America were hounded with requests to play special dog singing songs Hot Dog Boogie and Hot Dog Rock and Roll.

Finley will only perform to UB40. His favourite songs by the band are:

  • Red Red Wine
  • Higher Ground
  • One in 10

Other suggestions for Finley to howl to could be:

  • Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
  • Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
  • Puppy Love by Donny Osmond
  • Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men
  • How Much is that Doggie in the Window
  • Black Dog by Led Zeppelin
  • Diamond Dogs by David Bowie

By Rachael Lowe

Pages: 1 2 3



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