Jasper to host a starry night
the evening will be more Q&A from the audience, so knowing me I may get through about three questions in 45 minutes!”
Francis will be talking about his life and career, and there may even be some music.
“I probably won’t do full songs because it then becomes a concert, but I may do snippets of songs and show how they were written.”
The new album has been recorded with Hannah Rickard, who played on Sta- A BIRMINGHAM Night of Stars event at Symphony Hall will see two of the city’s most influential rock stars joining forces.
Acocks Green-born comedian Jasper Carrott will be the host as Moody Blues songwriter and bass player John Lodge meets Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) drummer Carl Palmer on stage.
The show will feature a mixture of live music, stories and laughter in aid of two city charities.
Fans who snap up tickets will be hoping that surprise guests could give rise to a one-nightonly supergroup.
Jasper, chairman of the city’s Walk of Stars project, said: “We love throwing the spotlight on people who were born and tus Quo’s acoustic tour and is quite ‘‘countrified’’.
“A lot of people said that the Aquostic albums sounded a bit ‘country’. I got talking to Hannah on the tours and we found out that we both liked the music.
“We didn’t want to go ‘Nashville’ as it would alienate everyone in the UK and Europe, so we reined it in a bit. It’s not strictly country, but there is a bit of pedal steel guitar on it.
“We may tour it if it’s successful and I’d like to do another album.” bred in this great city and then went on to become such big stars.
“The audience will enjoy various musical treats during the event and I will interview both John and Carl about their childhood, fame in the 1960s rock and roll scene, and what they’re up to now.”
Other “star friends” from the music world could be joining him to gig, reminisce and laugh with John and Carl.
The show will take place at 7.30pm on Thursday, April 11. Tickets are priced at £28 or just £15 for the back tiers.
Proceeds will go to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charities and Westside Charitable Endeavour, dedicated to recording the area’s historical attributes.
The autobiography is Francis’ third, but this will be the first one that is just him as the previous two were in conjunction with his Quo bandmate, the late Rick Parfitt.
“It’s not a bad time to do a book as this year I’ll be (whispers) 70. I just waffled on with Mick and he put it all together. Everyone seems pleased with the book though.”
And what about Status Quo?
“We have some festivals but we aren’t doing much. We may do something in 2020, there are things in the pipeline.”
Francis Rossi (with Mick Wall) will be Talking Too Much at Royal Spa Centre, Leamington, on March 22, Town Hall, Birmingham, on March 30, and Albany Theatre, Coventry, on April 4. The book I Talk Too Much will be published on March 14. The Rossi/Rickard album We Talk Too Much will be released the day after.