Love letter from America
Singer and songwriter Melissa Baydemir has got through to the live shows for national competition Open Mic UK.
The 15-year-old was born in Preston and moved to Florida when she was five, where she lived until the age of 13.
Out there she discovered her love for music and a passion for songwriting.
At 13, when moving back to the UK, the family settled in Penwortham.
Unfortunately, she suffered bullying due to her accent but this only inspired her even more with songwriting, combined with her Christian faith, and she has gone from strength-to-strength.
She is now a regional finalist for Open Mic UK 2014 after auditioning the angelic performance of her song ‘Forever and Always’.
The competition itself has been a platform for artists including Lucy Spraggan, Jahmene Douglas and previous winner Brit Awards nominee Birdy.