Maer was alive, almost as if Engnd were pying in the final of the Europa Cup—or perhaps the World Cup final. But none of that mattered to Billy... The streets leading to Wembley Stadium were painted with festivity. Billy wore a leather jacket with a skeleton design, light-wash jeans with a few rips, and a cross-shaped earring hanging from his left ear. His long hair was slicked back, but a few rebellious strands fell over his face.
Avril, walking beside him, was a bundle of nerves. She kept tug her hair behind her ear every so often, clearly unsure of what to say, nervous in her own way.
'Thanks for inviting me,' Billy said to Mick Jagger, not quite believing he'd be meeting true rock legends—people who had dedicated their lives to music.
He greeted Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and Charlie Watts, and even hugged Brian Johe band had a crowd of people surrounding them, and the iigue logo hung above their heads, grinning. Billy greeted them all, eae in their pce, in their role, without hesitatioook in all the greetings but directed his attention to Mick Jagger, who like Billy, was a vocalist.
'When Robert said that if there’s a singer who surpass us all, it’s you… I didn’t know how you mao impress that grumpy old man, but he told me I had to hear you sing. Betweeours, the parties, family, and business meetings, I figured the best thing was to invite you to perform. There’s nothing like seeing someone live to judge for yourself,' Mick Jagger remarked, studying Billy for two simple reasons: rave reviews and a reputation that was hard to earn with people of their caliber.
Without Mick, this opportunity would never have e about—it was like a trial by fire, a test to see Billy's talent firsthand. There was no bitterness, just an old-school rocker who wao witness a young star who had pletely shattered expectations.
'I’ll sing my songs. I hope you like my style,' Billy replied, fident that he could captivate the crowd.
Status.
Billy Carson.
Singing: (12/4200) Level 10: Guru
Piano: (124/1024) Level 7: Veteran
Guitar: (1204/2048) Level 8: Expert
Violin: (34/64) Level 4: Semi-professional
Global Ranking.
11/8,340,000
Followers: 24,693,030
He had only tapped into his Level 10 singing skill once before, but now he felt he didn’t need anyone else to show him the way. Once people heard his voice, they’d uand what real singing sounded like. The strength of his voice was like a star stirris, but now it came more easily to him—reag high notes, delivering low ones. He was ready to unleash his Level 10.
'We’ll start with a song for Avril. She’ll join us on a few others, but we’ll do a duet for three or four songs,' Billy told the band. Jack Sauodded in agreement, knowing full well that Kate Bosworth was in the VIP se, and it was time to perform.
'You’re a special person,' Avril said quietly from behind, still nervous but with a tohat hi something different.
'You’re not so bad yourself,' Billy replied as he stepped onto the stage, now dark, with the crowd only seeing shadows as they arranged equipment a with the usual pre-show hustle. He grabbed a microphone and whispered something to Avril. She Billy’s words while or and Egg Sugar stretched out their drumsticks. Spencer flexed his fingers without even toug the strings, and Jack Sauce kept shooting g Kate—ghat could only be described as lustful.
'First, we’ll sing I’m with You, then we’ll follow up with Clobsp;(Coldpy) and My Happy Ending third, followed by Use Somebody (Kings of Leon),' Billy murmured, reminding Avril of the song order. He grasped her calloused hands, rough from pying guitar, something Avril had taught him—being a true guitar fanatic herself.
The first song was from the Let Go album, which Avril had written ba 2002, a refle of the breakup with her ex-boyfriend who left her out of frustration over her success and his failure. Around that time, she met Billy, and they became close friends, sharing musical skills and thoughts. Now, it was time to surprise the world. Not all her songs were about that retionship, but this oainly was.
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I'm standing on a bridgeI'm waitin' in the darkI thought that you'd be here by nowThere's nothing but the rainNo footsteps on the groundI'm listening but there's no sound
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...
The first verse was sung as a whisper to Avril, pletely drawing her into the atmosphere. Though she was famous, this was the first time she’d performed in front of 70,000 people, acc to the test estimates. The lights, the colors, it all acted as a medium to ighe excitement she thought she’d lost—the thrill of singing. Don’t get it wrong, hearing a crowd like that cheer for you is simply electrifying.
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Isn't aryin' to find me?Won't somebody e take me home?It's a damn cold nightTrying to figure out this lifeWon't you take me by the hand?Take me somewhere newI don't know who you areBut I, I'm with youI'm with you
I'm looking for a pceI'm searg for a faceIs anybody here I know'Cause nothing's going rightAnd everything's a messAnd no one likes to be alone
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...
Billy’s voice blended with Avril’s as he held the microphone in his hand. He took a long step toward her and used her mic while resting his forehead against hers. Avril was taken aback but kept singing. The band, as seasoned professionals, softeheir pying to let Billy’s lower notes shihrough. He pulled his forehead away and tihe bald, a duet between two grand voices. The feeling of loneliness Billy infused into the song evoked a deep sadhat resonated with some of the audience who had experienced heartbreak, all within just the first few songs.
For the Rolling Stones veterans, Keith Richards and Charlie Watts, this subtle act was telling. They uood the difficulty of such a performa took a great band to back you up, but Billy’s voice, so charismatid thunderous, mao move even them within the opening verses.
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Isn't aryin' to find me?Won't somebody e take me home?It's a damn cold nightTrying to figure out this lifeWon't you take me by the hand?Take me somewhere newI don't know who you areBut I, I'm with youI'm with you, yeah, yeah
Oh, why is everything so fusing?Maybe I'm just out of my mindYeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah, yeah, yeah, yeahYeah
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...
But for Avril, it was different. One moment she was singing to a stadium, and the , it felt as if they were under a streetlight on a bridge, bathed in a circle of light that enveloped her and Billy. It was something so magical and powerful that she felt plete peace. His ued gesture awakened something in her. She sang with such ce that the trembling stopped. The fear vanished, and for the first time, she sang as she did iudio, or in silence, singing with total fidence.
Billy’s wink was a warmth that reached her heart. They were friends, but more than that, they were two people who needed each other. She sehat darkness inside Billy, a sadhat couldn’t be sung, a sorrow that even she couldn’t deny.
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It's a damn cold nightTrying to figure out this lifeWon't you take me by the hand?Take me somewhere newI don't know who you areBut I, I'm with you
I'm with you
Take me by the handTake me somewhere newI don't know who you areBut I, I'm with youI'm with you
Take me by the handTake me somewhere newI don't know who you areBut I, I'm with youI'm with youI'm with you
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...
They fihe song, and the blonde couldn’t help but bite her lip. This time, Billy doubted that just this song would be enough to satisfy him. His eyes burned with iy, and the old-timers in the band reized it. He was going to ge the setlist to something pletely ued—those eyes veyed the fierce determination of a song that demao be sung.
He went straight to the piano and asked Avril to sit on his p as he held the microphone for her. ging the pns even caught the logistics team by surprise.
The synthesizer chimed a few keynotes, and as soon as Billy pyed them, the band instantly uood what was going on in his mind. Spencer erupted into a powerful solo that added a magical touch. Spencer had a gift for taking a simple melody and elevating it three levels. or and Egg Sugar soon joined in.
'I think I o sing this song for all of you. It’s from my new album, but it’s calling out to me,' Billy said.
Avril’s bright blue eyes watched him, her back to the piano, as she observed that passion and iy she admired so much. He was like a hungry wolf, a predator’s instinct that could turhing upside down and leave everything else at a standstill.
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Far awayThis ship is taking me far awayFar away from the memoriesOf the people who care if I live or die
StarlightI will be chasing a starlightUntil the end of my lifeI don't know if it's worth it anymore
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The voice was even more heartbreaking, the rocker vibe was truly captured by Mick Jagger for the first time. He believes there are two ways someone attain that aura: one is through madness, and the other is through sadness or sensitivity. He's of the first kind, but it seems Billy belongs to the tter… surprises are not always easy the singing was filled with tless efforts to evoke feelings of fear.
A subtle gnce when he sang “Starlight” sent a wave through Avril's tender heart, makihroat burn.
...
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Hold you in my armsI just wao holdYou in my arms
My lifeYou electrify my lifeLet's spire to igniteAll the souls that would die just to feel alive
I'll never let you goIf you promise not to fade awayNever fade away
Our hopes and expectationsBck holes aionsOur hopes and expectationsBck holes aions
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The following words were woven with love, a love so pure and majestic that it transported Avril to a field of flowers, beh a sprawling oak with e and yellow-tinted leaves in the spring. The impact is even stronger when the people Billy sings to are those closest to him. It owerful se that overwhelmed the thoughts of some audience members, and Billy’s strong cry from the ter outward left attendees dizzy, fronted by a magi whose spell over their emotions was inescapable.
...
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Hold you in my armsI just wao holdYou in my arms
Far awayThis ship is taking me far awayFar away from the memoriesOf the people who care if I live or die
I'll never let you goIf you promise not to fade awayNever fade away
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The lyrics, the melody, and Billy himself formed a magical formu for success, as Jerry Wexler once said. It was true—every word carried a certainty that couldn’t be denied, rewritten, or tradicted as often happens in other performahis was the pinnacle of expression. At this point, the cert, broadcasted in London, was being watched by 60% of the British Isles, introdug both Billy and Avril to the masses.
Billy Carson’s global fever was starting to shift his audience from a predominantly younger crowd to a more mature one, ranging from 28 to 44 years old—a signifit leap. The ecstatic collective outside wasn’t spared either.
But the one most affected was Avril. How could anyone describe the love of a woman who feels she’s being serenaded in public by a man she finds handsome, whose only hope is to hold her in his arms, take her to another world where they live ected through memories? With a voice so beautiful, even she couldn’t resist.
...
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Our hopes and expectationsBck holes aions, yeahOur hopes and expectationsBck holes aions
Hold you in my armsI just wao holdYou in my armsI just wao hold
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When Billy fihe song, Avril leaped fiving him a deep kiss with a tohat Billy received with hesitation, surprise, and a mix of flig thoughts. He thought about Leighton and the headlines of tomorrow.
‘To hell with it,’ he thought. – kissing her back with even more iy, holding her in his arms.