Jim Davidson’s charity show memorial for pal GIG FOR ROCK LEGEND KEITH
COMIC Jim Davidson has organised a £50,000 tribute concert to rock star Keith Emerson who died last March.
Jim, a self-styled “super-fan” of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and a lifelong friend of keyboard wizard Keith, has booked a 51-piece orchestra and a worldclass conductor.
Rick Wakeman is the special guest star and all proceeds will got to the veterans’ charity Care After Combat.
Musicians will fly in from the USA, France and Norway for the one-off show at Birmingham Symphony Hall this summer.
Jim, 63, told the Daily Star Sunday: “It’s costing a fortune but nobody is getting paid and all profits will go to the charity that cares for military veterans with drink and substance abuse problems.”
Cockney Jim was a teenage fan of ELP, who sold 48million albums.
The prog rockers notched up seven Top 10 albums in the UK between 1970 and 1977 and a Top 3 single with Fanfare For The Common Man.
Five-times-married Jim said: “I insisted the DJ played their album Tarkus at my first wedding, which cleared the dance floor. By my third wedding, Keith was best man.
“He played keyboards in my back garden on my second anniversary with wife number one. We were close friends for decades. He knew all the wives, in fact my eldest son looks a lot like him.” Jim, currently on his 40 Years On stand-up tour, said: “£50,000 covers staging, two rehearsals, advertising and the flights, although Falklands vet Simon Weston has written to Richard Branson asking him to help. “It’s a lot of money but we’re confident it’ll sell out.” The orchestra will be conducted by Norwegian maestro Terje Mikkelsen who worked with Keith. The bill includes blind keyboardist Rachel Flowers, French musician Thierry Eliez and tribute act Noddy’s Puncture. Lee Jackson, of Emerson’s first band The Nice, will be there along with drummer Carl Palmer, ELP’s sole surviving member after Greg Lake died last month. Jim said: “I bumped into Carl at Greg’s funeral and told him ‘You look so well I’m going to call Paddy Power and cancel my bet, I had you on a treble’.” Jim promoted the last Greg Lake UK tour using the Strictly Come Dancing band to back him. Emerson committed suicide at home in Santa Monica, California, aged 71. Jim was the first person Keith’s girlfriend called. Emerson played the theme music to Jim Davidson’s first sitcom, Up The Elephant & Round The Castle. KEITH Emerson: A Musical Celebration Of His Life takes place on July 28.