6 things you never knew about Elkie Brooks
The 72-year-old singer loves Aikido, Amy Winehouse and the West Country
1. She has spent more than 50 years in the business “But that still doesn’t mean I can listen to myself,” she laughs. “Anyway all my records are in storage, so I only have one to play on my new record player by the wonderful Nina Simone.”
2. She is a black belt in Japanese martial art Aikido “It took me seven years to get to the stage where I was good enough to go in for the black belt,” Elkie explains. “I do my training exercises every morning. Lots of sit ups, lots of press ups, it’s good for mobility when you’re getting on a bit.”
3. She was a big fan of Amy Winehouse “I loved her dearly. A friend of mine gave Amy my album and after she listened to it, she told him, ‘I didn’t think there was anyone in England who could sing like
that.’ That’s the biggest compliment I’ve ever had from a fellow singer.”
4. Her original name was Elaine Bookbinder… “Someone told me ‘Elkie’ was Yiddish for Elaine so I changed it. Brooks, a sort of shortening of my surname, just sounded better, too.”
5. She left London for the West Country “People in the industry thought I was nuts when we moved. But I’ve no desire to move back. My husband and the boys hang-glide and paraglide here – things we couldn’t do in London.”
6. She is managed by her son Jay “The boys have always been on the road with me since early on in their life, they served their apprenticeship. Jay used to be guitar and drum tech.”