MUSIC fans can be prepared to be blown away as a couple of stars, whose careers have spanned the decades ,take to the stage at Worcester's Huntingdon Hall.

American singer-songwriter Janis Ian began playing piano at the tender age of two-and-a-half, taking up the guitar at the age of 10 and writing her first song at just 12.

She is renowned for her ethereal vocals, poetic wordplay and sublime melodies, which can be heard when she plays Huntingdon Hall at 8pm on Friday, September 24.

Her career has spanned more than three decades and it exploded at the age of 15 when she released Society's Child, a controversial tale of teenage inter-racial love.

The self-penned tune topped the charts and created a storm of controversy that lead to her featuring on the Tonight Show and in Life, Time and Newsweek.

And the Grammy-nominated artist - whose debut album Janis Ian earned her the first of nine nominations - soared to new heights in the 70s with a string of acclaimed albums - Stars, Between The Lines (which earnt Ian two Grammy awards) and Aftertones (featuring the hit Love is Blind ) - which topped the charts in Japan for a massive six months.

Her career continued to blossom in the 80s with a series of film and television projects including Four Rode Out, Murder She Wrote and The Simpsons.

And she re-emerged in 1993, after a break to study acting, with the Grammy-nominated Breaking Silence, releasing a further three albums between 1995 and 2000.

Her 18th studio album Billie's Bones is a splendid collection of folk, jazz and blues - including a duet with Dolly Parton.

Meanwhile, Joe Brown returns fresh from his triumphant performance at this year's Glastonbury festival to play his heart out at Huntingdon Hall on Thursday, September 23, with his group Joe Brown & The Bruvvers.

The popular musician began his career playing guitar with such legends as Johnny Cash, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and appearing with Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Chuck Berry.

He formed his own group - Joe Brown & The Bruvvers - in 1960, and has had numerous top ten chart entries, including his renowned number two hit A Picture of You.

The multi-talented star has also tried his hand at acting, starring in six major films, including Mona Lisa with Bob Hoskins and Crazy World.

And his show in Worcester will feature some of his all-time favourite songs and cover a wide variety of styles, including world music, rock 'n roll and country.

Support will come from the USA legend Henry Gross, whose rock 'n roll band Sha Na Na pulled off a storming performance at the Woodstock Festival.

Tickets for the Janis Ian concert are £18.50, while tickets for Joe Brown & The Bruvvers are £14.50 (concessions £13).

They are available by calling Huntingdon Hall Box Office on 01905 611427.