A BLACKBURN rising star is bidding to take the country by storm during his first UK tour.

Nathan Grisdale will be taking to the stage in 13 cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland hoping to further his budding career in the music industry.

The 20-year-old former St Bede’s RC High School student will be performing in front of crowds in locations such as Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle, Dublin and London during the tour which will start in Portsmouth on Sunday, March 15.

He is also appearing at the O2 Academy in Sheffield on March 25 and, closer to home, at Manchester Academy 3 on Sunday March 22.

The Britten Close resident was snapped up by the Stockport-based Box Records on a six-month recording deal, which has now been extended, in 2014 after posting a series of videos of himself singing on Facebook and YouTube.

His debut single Smile reached number 44 in the iTunes chart overtaking the likes of pop heavyweight Ed Sheeran and has since released Lone Soldier, Lost and Only One, which reached 67th position in the UK Chart.

The former St Peter’s RC Primary School pupil is also recording his fifth single.

It is due to be released shortly before the launch of the tour.

Nathan also attended Accrington and Rossendale College.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be really exciting.

“Playing to large crowds will be amazing and I can’t wait to get started.

“I have been rehearsing three times a week for the past month and everything has been going well so far.

“I am pleased with all of the songs and I’m just turning them into an hour-long show.

“Ireland should be amazing and I’m looking forward to Manchester because it’s close to Blackburn.

“London should also be a great gig.

“My favourite songs have to be Smile and Only One and those are the ones that people know and sing along to.

“It will be overwhelming to see so many people at the concerts and to know that they have turned up just to see me.”

His mum Michele, 52, said: “I’m really proud of him.

“I can’t believe what he has achieved so far.

“He was really interested in football when he was younger.

“But he lost confidence in that and took up singing instead.

“To go from singing in the bathroom to singing on stage is amazing.”