Susan Boyle? Wait until you see Glasgow granddad John Cowie!

May 14 2009 By Ben Spencer

John Cowie

A GRANDDAD who dresses up as Frank Sinatra is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Susan Boyle after auditioning for The X Factor.

John Cowie, 74, from Milngavie, is delighted after making it to the final 100 out of around 10,000 hopefuls who auditioned for the ITV show last weekend.

John, who sang to show producers while wearing his favourite Sinatra style white dinner jacket, black trousers and fedora hat, now faces a nervous two week wait to learn if he will get the chance to perform in front of Simon Cowell.

But the granddad-of-five has already been tipped for the top by karaoke audiences in Glasgow, who compare him to Scots singing sensation Susan Boyle.

John, a retired salesman, said: "I like Susan Boyle, she is very good.

She's more confident than me and has been singing for a long time.

"I have been compared to her. I sing at the The Curry Karaoke Club quite often and sometimes people shout out 'who needs Susan Boyle when you've got John Cowie'.

"I will find out in the next couple of weeks if I have got to the next stage on The X Factor.

"But if I do get to meet Simon Cowell I would not be too worried. I think I would get people feeling sorry for me rather than being nasty about me. Even if I don't get any further I will know that I made it to the last 100 out of 10,000."