The going can be tough for an aspiring artist, but one lifelong Billy Ocean fan from Suffolk managed to sell her first painting to none other than the 1980s pop star himself.
After seeing the When the Going Gets Tough singer live at The Regent in Ipswich on Monday night, Michele Bourke decided to try her luck and asked if she could meet Billy Ocean backstage.
Michele, 51, from Stowmarket, suffers from a debilitating genetic condition called polycystic liver and kidney disease, but she is determined to enjoy life regardless.
Due to her disability, the 67-year-old Billy Ocean came out to meet Michele and her 26-year-old daughter Stephanie Ziza. “We were taking photos and he saw the picture of the painting as the screensaver on my phone,” she explained.
“He said ‘wow that’s great’ and asked where I got the picture from. I told him it was my painting and I sold them through Stowmarket Library and he said ‘I want this painting, can I buy it’.
“He started looking around for his PA and then he asked her to sort out buying it. He paid £20 plus £5 for postage. That is how much I sell them for, I did not want to con him. I have been painting for years, but this is the first one I have sold. I have been selling them since September.”
Michele said her condition, which nearly killed her two years ago, has taught to enjoy special moments.
“When you are ill and have so many low moments, little fantastic moments like these – it makes all those low moments worthwhile,” she said.
“His song, When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going, that is my life motto. It is just incredible, amazing, that Billy Ocean is buying my painting. To be honest, I would have given it to him for free.”
She added: “When you spend so many days in hospital – I have a feeding tube in due to my condition, which stops my liver from working – you have to be positive.
“I fight almost every day. When I went to see Billy, I just thought I am going to leave all my medical stuff at home and enjoy it.”
• To buy jewellery or paintings from Michele, email michelebourke9@gmail.com or visit Stowmarket Library
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