Great Sankey man Escapee releases ‘Jodie’s ticket to ride’

In 2010, Great Sankey based Graham Williamson was in Salford Royal Hospital dying from alcoholism.

Fast forward 11 years and following a spiritual experience, Graham has become his vision and has now released his debut song called ‘Jodie’s ticket to ride’ as Escapee.

“It was a dark period. I was battling alcoholism for about 20 years to be honest and I just couldn’t get to grips with it,” Graham who grew up in Great Sankey said.

“I just couldn’t stop and I ended up losing jobs, girlfriends and I ended up in a rough council estate in Salford. I had no furniture, I was unable to work and I was skint.”

“I had yellow eyeballs and they said if you don’t stop ‘drinking you’re finished and you won’t last until the summer’.”

Graham says he encountered some spiritual communication which helped him to take a new direction in life.

The 50-year-old added: “The last bad experience on the drink I remember walking from Salford to Warrington – I thought I was going to die that night and I ended up in Warrington General Hospital.

“I’d been talking to spirits all night and they had a message of guidance that I will become a musician called ‘Escapee’.

“I was that ill I couldn’t even make myself a cup of tea, I was shaking all of the time and shutting down.

“After that last night – a February night in 2011, I managed to get the strength to withhold my alcoholism. I went through a couple of dark years off the drink but eventually when I got better I got guided to start boxing to rebuild the masculine frame that was ruined through drink.”

Graham moved back to Warrington permanently in 2016 and with the help of Nigel at Premier Boxing Gym he got his frame back, his confidence back and with that came better jobs and improved mental and physical health.

Graham Williamson has now released his debut single on Spotify

And he then decided to act on his vision that helped change him.

Graham – who now works in finance – said: “I got the strong urge to pick up the bass guitar and a good friend of mine taught me how to. I got guidance to pick up the lead guitar and I learnt about music production, video editing and everything seems to have happened in the last couple of years.

“It was important that I got the single out this year to be an artist.

“My music is very real. The stuff that I write about relates to encounters and its all about human relationships and some that have gone wrong.

“The lyrics to the track is also about some people that have helped and reached out to me. I’ve also now helped people as well because I’ve got the tools and skills to do so.

“It’s alternative rock really with influences from banks that I like including New Order and the Pixies. It’s just real and I’ve channelled what I live through into song.”

Graham remains humble about his turnaround though.

“I try not to use the word proud because I always try and remain humble through the whole thing,” he added.

“A handful of my friends have not been so lucky and I’ve lost friends through addiction. I’m one of the lucky ones.

“This project is very ambitious. It’s not a bedroom project, I want to take it all the way. I’ve got a strategy for it.

“As soon as I have got 10 finished songs I want to start playing gigs in Warrington. I want the people of Warrington to get behind me and grow a cult fanbase here and move out from there.

“When I have them 10 songs nailed, there will be no stopping me there.”

And beyond his musical ambition, Graham also wants to help others out of the situation he was in.

He said: “The message I want to get across for people who are going through addiction, low self-esteem, homelessness, if you can see someone my age – because I am no spring chicken – if they can see I’ve turned my life around middle-aged, it shows it can be done.

“I don’t want people to think they’ve ruined their lives because they are at a certain age, I want people to potentially look at me and think ‘wow, if he can do it, I can do it’ and if that can save lives, I’ve done my job.”

‘Jodie’s ticket to ride’ is out on Spotify now.