In a heartbreaking turn of events, a beloved singer-songwriter and street performer, Dean Franklin, has played his final gig after being diagnosed with advanced oesophageal cancer that has spread to his liver. The 36-year-old former contestant on The Voice, who was mentored by singer and TV personality Paloma Faith, performed for the last time in London’s Piccadilly Circus last Sunday, leaving hundreds of fans in tears.
Franklin, from Finsbury Park in north London, had spent nearly a decade performing across the capital, making music his livelihood. However, his world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with the devastating illness in December last year, after months of being treated for acid reflux, a condition that affected his voice but masked the real danger.
“I kept going back to the doctor,” he said. “The medication didn’t work. Then pain started under my ribs – in my liver. That’s when everything changed.” He was rushed to Homerton Hospital, fast-tracked through emergency tests, and given the devastating news: multiple tumours on his liver, with pain spreading into his back.
Now under the care of a leading cancer specialist at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Dean has been told that chemotherapy could give him around a year to live, with possible clinical trials depending on further testing. He is currently on morphine for pain, suffering from jaundice, and preparing for his next round of chemotherapy at the end of next week.
Deciding he must now focus on treatment, Dean made the heartbreaking decision to step away from performing for good. More than 300 people packed Piccadilly Circus to watch him sing for the last time – some flying in from Spain, Switzerland, and across Europe, including couples whose weddings he had sung at overseas.
As Dean closed with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” the crowd sobbed, filmed, and sang along. Strangers hugged him as he stood under the lights, visibly weak but smiling. “It was overwhelming,” Dean said. “These people have been part of my life.”
The emotional performance was also a fundraiser – not for treatment, but to secure the future of his family, including his 17-year-old daughter, Mya Hyndman, and her mother. So far, £25,000 has been raised, helping ensure they are supported when he can no longer work.
“Busking has been my income. Music has been my life,” Dean said. “This was about trying to make sure my family will be okay.”
Even now, Dean is still fighting – not just cancer, but for the future of street music in London. He has spoken out against Westminster Council, which has been cracking down on buskers in central London due to noise complaints. “So many iconic pitches have gone,” he said.