A POPULAR singer who lost the ability to speak after a life-threatening illness may soon have a voice again - thanks to his friends.

Kerry Acton, 32, (pictured) was the electrifying frontman of soul outfit Sould As Seen for seven years and also sang in a duo called 2-Bit Outfit before a serious liver infection saw him slip into a coma for three months.

After a year recovering at the Royal Gwent Hospital, then a specialist coma rehabilitation unit at Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff, and, finally, the Chepstow Community Hospital, Kerry is living in Sedbury, near Chepstow, with his parents Fred and Audrey.

Now friends and family are on a fundraising mission to buy him a voice box and give him back some speech.

Mrs Acton said: "We nearly lost him. The doctors told us he would die.

"It's a miracle we still have him.

"It has taken time, hard work and sheer determination for Kerry to reach a stage where he is fit enough to be independently mobile but he is still fighting against the effects of brain damage."

The main problem is that Kerry has not yet regained his speech and communicates with his parents largely through smiling, grunting, signalling with his hands and using a special voicebox computer which is on loan from Chepstow Hospital.

Mr Acton said: "The doctors won't give us any prognosis detailing what Kerry can expect in the future so we don't know if he will ever speak or sing again.

"But what he has achieved so far is impressive. We were told if he ever walked again he wouldn't make 100 yards before becoming exhausted. But he's never been fitter."

The Actons want to raise £1,000 to buy a special programmable voicebox which would allow Kerry to communicate easily with his friends and give him back a social life.

His old band will perform a concert at The Tidenham Royal British Legion on May 29 to raise money.

The benefit will feature Sould As Seen Revived, and other local bands The Anthill Mob and Up For Grabs. Tickets cost £5 and are available from Hannah's Music in Chepstow (tel 01291 627122), The Five Alls in Chepstow (01291 630349) and the Acton home (01291 626691).