When you've performed on Top of the Pops and had Tom Jones hit the buzzer for you on The Voice, you'd think nothing could top those career highlights. But for Colin Chisholm—the 73-year-old former singer of Bilbo Baggins and The Tremeloes—all that fame pales in comparison to belting out "The Hearts Song" in front of a roaring Tynecastle crowd.
Chisholm, a lifelong season-ticket holder, has become the unexpected 12th man in Heart of Midlothian's thrilling push for their first Scottish league title since 1960. It all started when he was invited down from his seat to sing an updated version of the club anthem before Aberdeen's visit on February 28. The reception was so electric that he repeated the performance for wins over Motherwell and Rangers—and he'll be at it again when Falkirk visits on Wednesday.
"I've done a lot—Top of the Pops, Supersonic, Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Don Williams, and The Voice when Tom Jones hit his button and invited me onto his team in 2013—but it's nothing in comparison to what I'm going through on the pitch," Chisholm told BBC Sport Scotland. "The euphoria is unmatched."
The atmosphere at Tynecastle has been nothing short of legendary during this title chase. "The first one was against Aberdeen, and they've incrementally got better every time I've done it," he recalls. "The last one against Rangers, I could hardly believe the volume. I couldn't even hear my in-ear monitor or the backing track—which is quite important! It's like the Colosseum at Tynecastle. You're surrounded. It's an incredible feeling."
Chisholm's musical journey is a fascinating one. As part of Bilbo Baggins—named after the famous literary hobbit—he shared a manager with the Bay City Rollers and peaked at number 42 on the UK charts in 1978 with "She's Gonna Win." The band's revival hopes were thwarted in 2014 by JRR Tolkien's estate, but that hasn't stopped Chisholm from enjoying his own personal return to the spotlight.
"I've sat in the stand all these years, but I'd been fairly much under the radar as far as being recognized as the singer of the 1986 Hearts Song," he says. "But now it's like the local celebrity has come good. Everybody's been absolutely incredible."
As Hearts continue their quest for glory, one thing is certain: the man behind the mic is living every fan's dream, proving that sometimes the best encore comes not from a stage, but from the heart of a stadium.