Local musician sings with Ed Sheeran after "Dive" cover goes viral
A local singer who went viral on social media got a surprising invitation from singer Ed Sheeran.
Twenty-four-year-old Ellie Banke from Downer's Grove, Illinois has been sharing her covers and her own music on social media since 2022. She now has nearly 2 million TikTok followers and 500,000 Instagram followers.
In April, Banke posted a video singing "Dive" by Ed Sheeran and it went viral. It got so many views that it caught Sheeran's attention.
"It's one of those songs that just feels really good as a vocalist and I created my own unique version based on the emotions I feel driven towards when I sing them," Banke said.
She said his music has helped her through hard times in her life. She asked her fan base to tag Sheeran, and the fans showed up.
One month later, Sheeran flew her and her family out to London for a collaboration. Banke has since posted multiple videos from the London visit.
"I've been the biggest Ed fan since I was 12 years old," She said.
Their with more than 20 million views in less than two weeks.
"It was such an amazing trip, but the first moment we sang together we just so special," Banke said. "His voice is so beautiful!"
