The Singing Bus Driver

Phillip Browne was born into a large and loving Windrush generation family in Birmingham. Church and singing were an important part of his upbringing, and when he struggled at school it was singing that gave him an escape and a status. But just as he was beginning to show signs of real potential, a devastating ear infection robbed him of his hearing completely in one ear - and Phillip was told by a doctor that a singing career was out of the question. Phillip's struggle in the aftermath of his illness and his need to find a job resulted in him becoming a London bus driver. He knew the security of employment was a relief to his father who had spent a lifetime working on the railways, but it seemed to be leading him further and further away from his dream. Until a chance meeting with an old college friend turned his life in an extraordinary new direction. Phillip tells Dr Sian Williams about that Life Changing moment - and his incredible journey to the bright lights of the West End stage. Producer: Tom Alban

You can listen to The Singing Bus Driver online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The Singing Bus Driver is an episode from Life Changing by BBC.

This episode is 29:00 long.

This episode was published on Jun 18, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Life Changing when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.