LONDON & USA DEBUTs FOR SOUL SINGER SARAH COLLINS

Nearly two years ago we told the story of Sarah Collins’ long road to recovery from a life-threatening brain tumour to the launch of her northern soul and Motown band, Keep The Faith. Now she’s going places.

As the lady said: “Northern soul saved my life!” That’s quite a claim by professional singer Sarah Collins, but one she stands by. “My doctor told me that music was the best therapy to help me regain my faculties when I was left epileptic and barely able to speak after the emergency operation to remove my tumour. My parents gave me their collection of northern soul and Motown on vinyl and I immersed myself in it. When I felt up to it I set myself the task of learning a song every morning, recording a video of me singing it to a backing track in the afternoon, and then putting it up on YouTube. It really helped me to recover.”

Those YouTube videos have now been viewed nearly five million times and have gathered a worldwide following. They’ve also given her an extraordinary opportunity to showcase her talents in the States, a performance at the iconic Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. “An email came out of the blue,” said Sarah. “It was from the director of a US charity called Able Flight which offers people with disabilities a way to challenge themselves through learning to fly. He said that he’d come across my music and my story of coming back from a life-threatening setback. He thought that I would be the perfect guest performer for an evening that’s a celebration of the success of those who face such challenges.

For her performance in the States on May 5, Sarah will be backed by the Tad Robinson Band who were nominated for the US Soul Blues Album of the Year in 2016. But her own band, Keep The Faith, will be firmly behind her when she makes her London debut at The Dome in London on Saturday, June 9. It’s a 500-capacity dance hall in Tufnell Park with a long association with soul music. It became the home of the Capital Soul Club back in 1999 and the venue recently hosted the 6th Anniversary of the Soulnites All-Dayer.

“In the two years since our launch,” said Sarah, “the band’s been steadily building a reputation with appearances at scooter rallies, festivals and many sell-out gigs across the North, the Midlands and Scotland, but this will be our first trip down south. It’s been a bit like waiting for a bus, because two gigs have come along at once. We’ll be playing the Stone Valley Festival South in Hertfordshire on the afternoon of June 9 before making our way to North London for the evening gig.”

Sarah’s delighted that she’s been able to introduce northern soul to people around the world. “YouTube stats show my videos have been viewed more than five million times by people around the world. It’s great to be doing my bit to keep the music I love alive.”

View Sarah’s YouTube channel at https:// tinyurl.com/SarahCYouTube more info at www.keepthefaith.band