One of the UK’s most loved singers, Elkie Brooks, has been in the business for an astonishing five decades and is still proving to be one of the most popular live performers in the country and Saturday 19th October, at 7.30pm, sees her very welcome return to the Royal Hippodrome Theatre, Eastbourne. Born Elaine Bookbinder in Salford, Manchester, Elkie has become one of the most successful and respected singing talents in the UK and, so far, she has produced 19 studio albums, and earned her numerous awards and accolades.
As a 15 year old with a passion for the blues, jazz and great artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Elkie left her childhood home to pursue dreams of becoming a singer. Early professional engagements included appearances with the Eric Delaney Band and British Jazz hero Humphrey Lyttelton. On signing to the famous Decca label, Elkie released her first single “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” in 1964. Several more single releases followed but her association with Decca soon ended and she spent the next few years appearing on package tours with various artists including The Animals and The Beatles. Sadly, chart success eluded her and, disillusioned, Elkie took off to the States to decide her future.
In 1975 she returned to the UK and signed a deal with A&M Records which saw the release of her first solo album, Rich Man’s Woman. The album had some critical success but this failed to translate into record sales. For her second album, A&M recruited legendary songwriters and producers Leiber and Stoller to create the classic 1977 album Two Days Away and finally, on her 32nd Birthday, after many years of glowing acclaim but limited chart success, the single Pearl’s A Singer was released providing Elkie with her first Top 10 hit. The song became an instant anthem, proving so memorable that even today it remains her most popular and enduring hit. Further success followed with the hit singles Sunshine After the Rain, Lilac Wine, the evergreen classic Don’t Cry Out Loud and the hit albums Shooting Star (1978) and Live and Learn (1979). During this period Elkie undertook major tours selling out each venue she visited including the Royal Albert Hall and a week-long engagement at the London Palladium.
In 1981, the release of the Pearls album propelled Elkie into the realms of superstardom. This collection of past hits and new recordings shot to number two and stayed in the album charts for an incredible 79 weeks. At the time of release it became the biggest selling album by a British female singer in the history of the UK charts, selling over 1.2 million copies.
The public have been flocking to watch Elkie perform for many years, but those who have seen her over the last few have witnessed some of the most incredible performances of her career. The nightly standing ovations and delighted crowd reactions are testament to a woman who, like a good wine, has improved with age. Her passionate performances and her warmth with the audience have made her an unforgettable live experience and have gained her a reputation, both with fans and within the music industry, as perhaps the finest British female singer of her generation
Tickets cost £24.50 / £23 concessions and are still available from Eastbourne Theatres box office 01323 412000 or via www.royalhippodrome.com.