Kinky Boots star Matt Henry 'overwhelmed' after fans kick-start his first album

Kinky Boots star Matt Henry says he is “overwhelmed” after fans paid £20,000 to fund the recording of his debut album.

The actor, 36, was a finalist in series two of The Voice in 2013 and recently won an Olivier award for playing drag queen Lola in the hit West End musical.

He wrote and recorded his songs after a campaign on PledgeMusic.com, where fans pre-ordered the album before it had been made, raising the £20,000 needed to record it.

“I was only able to make the album at all with the support of fans — there was a want for it,” Henry told the Standard.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling. I just don’t want to mess this up for them. The response coming back from those that have heard it has been phenomenal.

“It could have gone horribly wrong as they had never heard any music by me. But they took a chance and it was a great leap of faith they took with me.”

He recorded the album, Red Flare, at the London studio owned by The Feeling singer Dan Gillespie Sells, with collaborators including Mr Hudson and Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell.

“The recording started last year, before I got the role in Kinky Boots,” Henry said. “I threw all my energy into recording it, then it was a case of getting it mixed and mastered — that took a long time.”

He would like to continue as a recording artist and stage performer — although he admits this may be difficult. “People do like to pigeon-hole you in this country,” he said.

Kinky Boots, about the owner of a shoe factory who forms an unlikely alliance with Lola to turn its fortunes around, opened at the Adelphi Theatre last year. Its producers will give Henry time off to promote Red Flare, due out in June.

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