Ken unearths family tie to Eurovision hopefuls Blue

Ken Chapman was researching his family tree when he discovered that he was related to Duncan James, who will appear for the UK in the international songfest to be held in Germany tomorrow.

And even when Ken discovered Duncan was a distant cousin, he remained unaware of his chart-topping career with boy-band Blue.

Ken, of School Road, Wales, had found that Duncan was the great grandson of his father’s eldest brother.

But it was only when Ken mentioned the name to his daughter, who had been to see Blue at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, that the penny dropped.

“I’d never heard of Blue but after listening to some of their music I actually thought that they were quite good.

“And I’m not just saying that because we’re related,” said Ken, who is the chairman of the Kiveton Park and Wales History Society.

Duncan will be performing the UK entry I Can alongside bandmates Lee Ryan, Simon Webbe and Antony Costa in Dusseldorf, Germany, tomorrow tonight.

And Ken says he’ll be watching.

Other famous names in Ken’s family include Herbert and Harry Chapman.

Herbert was a highly-successful football manager with Huddersfield and Arsenal the in 20s and 30s, while Harry played for Harry played for Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City between 1900 and 1913.

Ken has written the story of his relatives in a book called The Chapman Family of Kiveton Park—which he hopes to publish through the Kiveton Park and Wales History Society.

Anyone wanting help tracing their own family tree can contact the Kiveton and Wales History Society via the group’s website at www.kiveton waleshistory.co.uk.