A HUGELY popular singer will prove she is still one of the most powerful and versatile vocal talents of our generation when she appears in Worcester this weekend.

Elkie Brooks comes to the Swan Theatre on Saturday, August 18, as part of this year’s Worcester Festival from 8pm.

Now in the fifth decade of her career, her first steps into the music industry were made as a 15-year-old.

It was then that she embarked on a national pop tour as the winner of a competition at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.

Since then she has worked with the late Humphrey Lyttleton and his renowned jazz band and became part of the rock/jazz fusion outfit Dada in the late 60s.

Her next step was a very brief foray into the acting world when she took the lead in Adrian Mitchell’s TV drama, Something Down There Is Crying, playing a singer who battled the drink-fuelled excesses of the 70s music scene.

After that nobody really knew in what direction she should go next, should it be jazz, blues or rock?

The answer came in 1977 with a song that transcends genres and married all of Elkie’s vocal abilities – the 1977 muli million-selling hit Pearl’s a Singer .

On the back of numerous hit singles, albums and awards, her annual tours attract fans new and old with a blend of classic tracks from her 50 years in the business, both jazz and rock, as well as songs from her 2010 album Powerless .

The singer, who is now aged 67, has also tasted chart success with singles such as Sunshine After the Rain, Don’t Cry Out Loud, Fool (If You Think It’s Over) and No More the Fool all of which have broke at least the top-20.

Tickets are £25. For more information and tickets go to theswantheatre.co.uk or call 01905 611427.