ELKIE Brooks, whose career took off after supporting The Beatles on the early 1960s, will be the star name on the bill when she plays on the first night of the Worcester Festival.

Elkie who embraces rock ballads, blues and jazz, is the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British album charts.

She has had more than a dozen hit singles in the UK, and is officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records as the most successful UK album act of the past 20 years.

She hit the limelight again last year when she appeared on the music television reality show Reborn in the USA along with other household names such as Tony Hadley, Peter Cox, Sonia and Dollar.

Elkie says the show was a great experience, and she gained a lot of new fans who had not heard of her before.

"A lot of die-hard Elkie fans wondered what I was doing on it!" she says.

"I took it all in my stride, but was a bit unsure at first."

Most of us who saw the show will remember the famous first episode when an intoxicated Mark Shaw, leader of 1980s band Then Jerico, walked out after an argument with singer Michelle Gayle over taking a girl he'd met onto the tour bus. It was a row Elkie says she "never really got to the bottom of it."

She says the Mardi Gras was on in New Orleans, and they couldn't get back to the hotel, so hung around another hotel for two hours, where she drank watered down red wine, and Mark drank Jack Daniels.

She says that Mark had come over to America on the same airline as Dave from Dollar, where they met "a lady of the night, and invited her onto the bus into town."

However, she doesn't elaborate any further.

"I got on with everybody on the show famously, especially Leee John and in fact, I'm still in contact with him," she says.

"He turned me onto lemon, honey and ginger and I recently called him from a caf when I was drinking it."

Elkie says despite the title of the show, it was never shown in America.

Elkie's many hits have included Fool If You Think It's Over, No More The Fool, and Sunshine After The Rain.

She's recording a new album at the moment, and hopes it will be finished in the next week or two.

"I've had a natural talent for singing since I was three or four years old," she says.

"I always sang naturally but didn't take it that seriously until I was in my teens."

A biography on her life is being written by her daughter-in-law Joanna Jordan.

"We get on very well and I feel at ease with her, that's very important" says Elkie.

"People asked me before to do a biography, but I think it's quite difficult as you have to feel at ease to tell them about different experiences in your past and little anecdotes.

"You have to feel good with them and relax."

She says the book will scan from childhood days to present day, but does not give anything more away.

"I hope people don't find it boring!" she says.

As well as the book, there is also a live DVD of Elkie performing in London set for release next year

When Elkie plays at the Swan Theatre, Worcester, on Saturday, August 14, she will be playing mostly hits.

"The die hard Elkie fans expect that," she says.

"I'm also be doing a lot of rock and blues stuff from the album."

Tickets for the Swan Theatre gig cost £26.50, from the box office on 01905 611427.

The Worcester Festival runs from Saturday, August 14 to Monday, August 30.