BY JULIE BLACKBURN

Twitter:@iomnewspapers

Scottish singer Barbara Dickson will be giving a special acoustic performance at the Peel Centenary Centre next week with her pianist Nick Holland, exploring her catalogue of songs at an intimate level.

The gig, which is already sold out will see the pair letting the words and melodies take centre stage as they perform a wonderful range of material drawing on Barbara’s folk roots, contemporary greats, and some of her classic hits.

A multi-million selling recording artist with an equally impressive Olivier Award winning acting career, Barbara Dickson OBE has firmly established herself as one of the most enduring and popular artistes in Britain today.

Born in Dunfermline, Scotland, Barbara’s love of music was evident from an early age - she began studying piano at the age of five and by twelve had also taken up the guitar and developed an interest in folk music.

Emerging from the Scottish folk scene of the late 1960s Barbara had enjoyed mainstream chart success with hits including ’Answer Me’, ’Another Suitcase in Another Hall’, ’Caravan’ and the million-selling number one single, ’I Know Him So Well’.

As Scotland’s best-selling female album artist she has earned six platinum, 11 gold and seven silver albums and cemented her status as one of the UK’s best-loved performers.

Her stage career has included the roles of the original Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s long-running musical, ’Blood Brothers’ and as Viv Nicholson in ’Spend Spend Spend,’ both of which have won her an Olivier award for ’Best Actress’.

Barbara was awarded an OBE in the 2002 New Year’s Honours for her services to music and drama and she continues to record and to play to sold-out audiences.

Nick Holland joined Barbara’s touring band in the mid 2000’s playing keyboards and adding vocals on her ’Full Circle’ album, the first to feature the style of music she now performs. Barbara and Nick recently started working as a ’duo’ where she plays guitar and piano, and Nick on keyboards -and adding harmonies to Barbara’s own wonderful vocals.

They have performed this way in numerous venues including cathedrals, festivals and theatres and developed an intimate rapport with each other and the audience.

’It’s a different experience to working with the bigger band,’ says Barbara, ’but just as enjoyable and gives the music breathing space.’

On her 2017 tour Barbara will also appear in Perth, Worthing, Buxton, Morecombe and Sheffield.

The tour, ’In Good Company,’ has been recorded in full, comprising the complete setlist featuring Barbara and her full band, and will be released as a live album later this year, her first live album since 2010’s ’Barbara Dickson in Concert’.