Talented teen lands record contract and duets with Glee cast member

Darrell Coyle, Gem O'reilly and Damian McGinty

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Talented Rochdale Sixth Form College student  Gem O’Reilly, who has landed herself a record contract, flew over to Ireland recently to duet with Damian McGinty, who played Rory Flanagan in hit US show Glee, to mark the release of her debut EP.

After pursuing a music career by recording music in her bedroom, and posting online – Gem was approached by Walled City Records, after attracting more than 35,000 views, with the offer of a record contract.

At just 17 years old, Gem has always wanted to be a performer – having already starred in top TV show Waterloo Road, and performed at the prestigious Royal Exchange theatre.

Dubbed ‘the next Taylor Swift’, the talented teen is currently studying for her A Levels in English Language, English Literature and Spanish at Rochdale Sixth Form College – topics which complement her passions for playwriting and songwriting.

Gem O’Reilly comments: “It’s hard to believe that this time last year I was singing in my bedroom and posting the videos online, and now I’m performing to thousands of people, and my music is available for people to download. It’s taken a lot of hard work  juggling my College work with singing  but by selecting the right A Levels, and having really supportive teachers, studying at Rochdale Sixth Form College has complemented my passion for music, and helped get me where I am today.”

Gem’s Personal Progress Tutor James Davidson comments: “It has been a pleasure to teach Gem over the past year, and we’re thrilled to see that her dedication and hard work has paid off and her music career is taking off. She has such an incredible talent that you don’t come across very often, and we hope this is the start of big things for her.”

Gem’s EP ‘Teenager’ is inspired by growing up and the process a teenager goes through to decide which path to take in life. Her debut EP will include four tracks, is a mix of country music and acoustic pop.