At Luke’s “Senior Recital” in high school, he sang several songs including Stars from Les Miz. But the song that really stuck out in my mind that night was Music of the Night from Phantom. I had been listening to Luke sing since he was a few years old. We would sing together in the car all the time, but one of my earliest memories of him “performing” was when we had bought him a Fisher Price microphone and speaker for his birthday, complete with mic stand. He performed for a bunch of people that we had over the house. He stood there at his mic in the living room with his toy guitar slung around his shoulder, and sang every song he knew. He was four.
Of course, I was at every one of his shows and performances throughout grammar school and high school. And I was always impressed with his beautiful voice. But at some point in high school his voice started to change from being a kid’s voice into a man’s voice. I noticed it at the Senior Recital.
I remember that moment so vividly. I remember being completely blown away listening to him sing. I am not going to describe it. You can listen for yourself. I know that those of you who knew him after high school will know that this may not be as good as his voice eventually became, but this is when I think it started. At least, this is when I first heard it happening. Honestly, it took my breath away. I told him exactly that after the performance.