Longmeadow native 'other guy' in Middleton's life


Members of the a cappella group, The Other Guys, from the University of St Andrews in Scotland, chase after a fictional Kate Middleton in a scene from their "Royal Romance" music video. The video, which features Longmeadow native David Borowsky, went viral after being posted on YouTube April 12. Photo courtesy of The Other Guys

April 25, 2011

By Katelyn Gendron

Assistant Managing Editor

LONGMEADOW — There are some "other guys" in Kate Middleton's life and one of them hails from Western Massachusetts.

David Borowsky, 22, a senior at the University of St Andrews in Scotland — where Middleton met her fiancé Prince William of Wales — is a Longmeadow native and a member of the school's 11-member a cappella group, The Other Guys. The group gained international recognition when their music video, "Royal Romance," (http://youtu.be/JAlnM7RUDcA) a parody of the Royal Wedding set to Lady Gaga's hit single, "Bad Romance," went viral after being posted on YouTube April 12.

"It all started as a bit of fun really: the lead singer in the video, Ollie Boesen, came up with the idea and we just ran with it," Borowsky explained. "In the initial planning phase, we realized that it could serve as a nice tribute to [the] Royal Wedding, and that current and former students might really identify with it ... Initially we thought our fellow students might get a kick out of it, and that would be all. We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the response."

The five-minute video, which took three weeks to film, produce and mix, has been viewed more than 230,000 times on YouTube as well as featured on NBC's "TODAY" show, among other media outlets internationally.

"Royal Romance" tells a story of a student at St Andrews who met Middleton during their freshman year but never stood a chance amidst the prince's advances.

When asked how life has changed for the group since the video's release, Borowsky replied, "Hectic would be an understatement! I wouldn't say we have achieved 'celebrity status' or anything close to that, but people are definitely taking notice.

"I was having lunch [April 17] at a popular student hang out, Number 40 at The Golf Hotel, and the waiter came up to me and said two couples from out of town had been speculating whether I was the guy with the funky socks from 'that amazing Royal Romance video' they had just seen. Eventually, they came over and laid on an almost uncomfortable amount of praise. Things like that have been happening on an increasingly regular basis, and it feels good to be a part of something that people are really connecting to and appreciating," he continued.

"The university has been great in getting behind us with the video, and although officially they haven't given us extensions [for exams] or anything like that, I am sure they will do whatever they can to help us balance our recent success with our work schedules going forward," Borowsky added.

The group is slated to perform the song at "St Andrews at what is effectively a satellite party for the wedding" on April 29, he noted.

When asked if The Other Guys would be performing at the nuptials, Borowsky replied, "We haven't heard anything from the Royal Family yet, but I have a good feeling at least Kate and Wills have seen it ... If we get the call, we'll be heading down south on that day!"

His sudden success as a member of the group hasn't altered Borowsky's post graduate plans, however.

"Though music and The Other Guys are a huge part of my life, after graduation I am going to work for TEAM Financial Asset Management in Harrisburg, Penn.," he explained. "I study financial economics, and am really into complex systems and fractal geometry ... I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work for them, and [TEAM's Chief Financial Officer] James Dailey in particular ... To pass up the opportunity to go to work for him, especially at such a dynamic and exciting point in TEAM's development would be unthinkable, as tempting as pursuing a career in music is now that I have a potential springboard!"

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