After performing during the Papal visit, Mr. Bobby Hill, a Philadelphia teenager, has become quite the celebrity.
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Mr. Bobby Hill, the Philadelphia teenager who achieved worldwide fame after signing, in a sultry soprano tone, a solo during the Papal Visit, today rode into the Pennsylvania Convention Center sitting in the passenger’s seat of the now famous, custom-built Papal Fiat, which will be on display at the Philadelphia Auto Show beginning Saturday, January 30th, 2016. Abba’s ‘Dancing Queen’ was playing on the car’s radio and Mr. Hill, like a kid in a candy store, was all smiles; the short ride into the massive building, like his fame, was unexpected.
“It was a big surprise to be riding in that car,” Mr. Hill, a student enrolled at Central High School, said during an exclusive interview with Techbook Online.
The privilege of traveling, no matter the distance, in a car so regarded, is just one example of how Mr. Hill’s adolescent life has changed after his performance on Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the month of September in 2015.
“I’ve been traveling a lot and I’m recognized at places… it’s still a little weird,” he said.
Mr. Hill was accompanied to the 2pm press conference, wherein Philadelphia Mayor, Mr. Jim Kenney, and others detailed the economic impact of the annual Auto Show, by his parents.
The father of the young talent, Mr. Jerrold Hill, who claims responsibility for his son’s exceptional voice, described life after the Papal visit as a “whirlwind,” saying the 14-year-old is requested at event after event.
“He’s still down to earth… we keep him grounded,” said the older Mr. Hill, who expected fame for his son, but just not in the way it came, and certainly not at this age.
The father of the soprano-singing sensation told me that during the time of the Papal visit, the family was lamenting the fact that the young Mr. Hill didn’t get the callback for a role he auditioned for outside of Philadelphia.
“If he had booked that role, he wouldn’t have been in Philly for the Papal visit,” said the father, who suggested that everything happens for a reason.
But luckily the young Mr. Hill, a concussion survivor, was in town and, as a result of his father’s constant mentoring and coaching, was prepared for whatever opportunity came his way. The teen didn’t know he would be singing in front of a worldwide audience until roughly 10 minutes before he was to appear on stage, said the older Mr. Hill.
Apparently, there was a change between the high profile music acts, and event organizers, to avoid dead air, needed something to fill a minute or two. There wasn’t enough time to assemble the whole Keystone State Boys Choir, but time did allot for a solo from the one and only Mr. Bobby Hill.
The many early mornings where the young Mr. Hill, who began his signing career at age 3 ½, was forced to awaken from his slumber and attend choir rehearsal, “paid off,” said the older Mr. Hill.
Preparation, said the father, is a value that’s instilled often into his children.
“I’ve always told Bobby, it’s better to be prepared and not have an opportunity.”
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