Family Radio 1 Family Radio 1
Elkie Brookes
Download past shows, interviews and more!
© FamilyRadio1 2020 PRS Licence No. LE-0004465
Elkie Brooks Podcast Life and career Brooks was born in Salford, England and grew up in Prestwich. She attended North Salford Secondary Modern School. A professional singer since she was fifteen, Elkie Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James' "Something's Got A Hold On Me" was released on Decca in 1964. She spent most of the 1960s on Britain's jazz scene, then met husband Pete Gage and joined the short-lived fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer both went solo. After a spell as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her commercially unsuccessful Rich Man's Woman (1975) came before a run of sixteen UK hit albums in twenty-five years, starting with Two Days Away (1977) and the hits "Pearl's A Singer", "Sunshine After The Rain" and "Lilac Wine", She also had a hit in 1977 with the Cat Stevens duet "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard". The albums Shooting Star (1978), Live And Learn (1979), Pearls (at the time, the largest selling album by a British female artist) (1981), Pearls II (1982), Minutes (1984), and Screen Gems (1984) were all UK chart successes. In 1986 No More The Fool gave Elkie her biggest hit single to date while the parent album reached the top 5. Following chart success ensued with the albums The Very Best Of (1986), Bookbinders Kid (1988), Inspiration (1981), Round Midnight (1993) Nothin' But The Blues (1994), Amazing (1996) and The Very Best Of (1997). Brooks' success has earned her recognition by the Guinness Book of Records as the most charted British female album artist of the last 30 years. The Pearls album stayed in the charts for an amazing 79 weeks and was still there when her follow-up, Pearls II, charted a year later. In March 2003 she participated in the ITV music talent show Reborn in the USA, alongside musicians such as Peter Cox (Go West Singer), Tony Hadley and Leee John. The Electric Lady album (2005) saw a return to her blues and rock roots, featuring self penned tracks alongside re-workings of numbers by The Doors, Bob Dylan, Paul Rodgers and Tony Joe White. The following year saw the release of her first official DVD, titled Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls featuring an array of guest musicians. Elkie is currently working on her 20th Studio album some 30 years after her solo debut in 1977. A popular live attraction, Brooks has toured almost every year during her solo career. Her 1982 UK Concert tour was seen by over 140,000 people. She has performed at every major UK theatre including sell out runs at London's Palladium, Dominion Theatre, Royal Albert Hall, and Wembley Arena.
Listen and Download
MENU
An Interview with Elkie Brooks Vince Tracy interviews Brooks. To listen to this interview click the link below, to download and play later RIGHT CLICK and choose “Save target as...” Elkie Brooks Podcast
Interviews by Vince
Phone: 0845 519 1459