A professional singer is appealing for music fans who attended a classic concert at Birmingham Odeon 40 years ago to get in touch.
Matthew Long is establishing an archive of memories and memorabilia of the 1975 Perry Como British tour.
The visit to the UK was the American crooner’s first and only tour of the UK. On 8 April 1975 the singer played two shows at Birmingham Odeon. To mark the anniversary Matthew wants anyone who was at the gig to get in touch and share their memories.
Matthew, who is a professional singer and the founder of the UK’s Perry Como Appreciation Society said: “It’s 40 years since the sell-out 19 show tour of the UK and I wanted to mark this musical anniversary by setting up a web-based archive.
“I’m hoping music lovers will get in touch to share their memories and memorabilia of the evening, anything from ticket stubs to photographs. Perhaps there are people whose parents were at the concert? I’d love them to get in touch and share their mums’ and dads’ reminiscences of the Birmingham Odeon gig with visitors to the archive.”
The cinema on New Street eventually closed its doors to live acts in 1987 despite hosting legendary acts including the Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin.
Despite being just 26 years old singer Matthew is influenced by the style of the great American crooners such as Frank Sinatra, Matt Monro, and most of all Perry Como of whom he is the UK’s leading authority. Like his hero, Matthew is taking to the road for a tour starting on April 10 at the Dovehouse Theatre in Solihull, before playing gigs in Redditch, Coventry, Kenilworth and Lincoln.
The Shirley-based singer said: “I hope the concerts attract a wide range of ages, especially young people who haven’t heard Perry’s laid-back songs before. It’s important to me to bring these wonderful songs to a new generation of followers.”