It was Palm Sunday 2014 and after the service Samantha and I were chatting in a friendlier fashion than usual, when I posed the question "Are we flirting yet?". "I think so", she replied. Ten years later we are still very much an item!
To Samantha, from the bottom of my penitent, admiring and aspiring heart. May God bless you always for bringing me closer to Him. I love you.

Joshua Francis - Samantha (album version)

Joshua's music is a unique blend of original rock n roll, blues and folk, with powerful vocals; but he has been described as producing an insanely diverse range of styles, from ballads to showtunes and everthing in between. His songwriting is poetic and his performance is professional and highly energetic.
He draws his influences from Jerry Lee Lewis, The Rat Pack, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and Steve Earle. Joshua has a very focussed work ethic and if he is not recording then he is touring the country, playing live at a variety of venues.
Very often his songs are of a social conscience nature, particularly focussing on homelessness, and he is a regular at Thorn Cross Prison, Warrington where he performs concerts for his "jailhouse flock". He has made several records for charity, including an EP for mental health charity Rethink. 
Highlights of his career so far include playing Christian music festival KingsStock in 2015, performing at Strawberry Fair last year and playing in front of Terry Waite C.B.E. for homeless charity Emmaus UK's 25th anniversary in Cambridge.
Joshua has received radio airplay all over the UK, North and South America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He is also a regular guest on HCR104fm radio based in Huntingdon and Flame Christian & Community Radio in Birkenhead.
Last year's Valentine's Day single "5am" was reviewed by moremore sound who said it was "an original and distinctive musical accomplishment". "Alimony Street" was reviewed by Middle Tennessee Music who said it was "a simplistic balladesque record infused with...powerful vocals". His current album, released in July last year, has been favourably reviewed by The Black Label Agency in Belgium, Beachsloth.com and Christian Radio station The Antidote".
This year, Joshua is working on his next album "Menorahs And Fedoras" which will be released in the summer, and is about to being another extensive tour of the UK – dates are still being added.
Everything Joshua writes and produces is available for free on Soundcloud.