News around Halifax

Dean beats the odds

Saturday 27th June 2009 6:57 PM

A Halifax musician who was told he was to ill to ever fulfil his ambition of writing and recording his own album has defied the odds to create his debut CD.

Dean Charlton, who has spent his entire adult life fighting bi-polar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and cancer, has dreamed of releasing his own record for as long as he can remember. Now the 45 year old, of Halifax, has put out One Foot In Front Of The Other- a combination of folk, rock and punk- 30 years after he first started penning lyrics. And the album has proved something of a small commercial and critical success, selling steadily around Calderdale and earning praise from local music experts.
Mr Charlton a volunteer worker, said "When you suffer with what I do you get written off. People don't believe you can achieve your goals.

"They see my life simply as a battle to stay well so to prove them wrong feels brilliant."
The keyboardist, originally from Castleford, was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder - a severe, often crippling depression - in 1984 and shortly after was told he had an obsessive compulsive disorder. He has spent time in psychiatric units and was given electroconvulsion therapy where currents are sent into a patients brain in an attempt to forcibly lift their spirits.

At 28 he was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease - a form of cancer in the neck - and had to have 20 bouts of radio therapy. He was in remission for 11 years but suffered with a severe bout of pneumonia in 2004 which left him in intensive care for nearly 2 weeks. He said " Its been a struggle but the music - even though it can cause me problems because my OCD causes me to worry and ruminate on it - has helped."

The record was recorded by an assembled band called From The Horses Mouth.
Nick Simonet, owner of Revo records, said " We get a lot of records to sell by local bands but I was really pleasantly surprised by this.

There's some cracking little tunes on it! for more info go to the website: www.fromthehorsesmouthmusic.com

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