In June 1998, I was privileged to be invited to sing backing vocals on John Adams’ first recorded C.D. entitled “ The Wandering Soul”, recorded at Studio Jan Vis in Rosmalen, The Netherlands.

(This album is on release in this country.)

My biggest break in music came through John Denver, when in 1994 I was invited by Dutch singer Jos Van Den Brom, otherwise known as John Adams (winner of the Dutch ’Stars In Their Eyes’ in 1988) to sing one song with him during the annual gathering of the U.K. John Denver fan club in Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire.

    One song became two, then three and four etc...!!! The whole thing got completely out of control for a local girl from Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

In October 1997, John Denver was tragically killed in a plane crash over Monterey Bay, California, devastating all of us. For a long time I could not come to terms with his loss. Then things got really crazy as everyone grieved his death and were desperate to celebrate a great and unique talent. Between September and November 1998 I was in 5 different countries in 5 weeks...! A concert in England,  memorial events marking John’s life in Aspen, Colorado one year after his death, a concert in Holland, a concert in Switzerland, passing through Germany on the way.........  I was waking up each day wondering which country I was in ...!

During those heady days, funds were raised for good causes - over £1000 for The South Bucks. Hospice Appeal in April 1996 - over £800 for The Special Care Baby Unit in Wakefield, Yorkshire in September 1998 - the purchase of vital musical instruments for a local school in High Wycombe, Bucks. in December 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 - a concert in aid of The Hunger Project, in Birmingham, April 1999 and an event in Derby, to benefit the R.S.P.C.A. in September 1999..... I began to enjoy the feeling of satisfaction it gave me that my singing could actually be of some use in this way. Percussionist for ‘The Band’ on many of these occasions was Dave Laurence. (Pictured at the top.) Bottom Left is a picture of me with bass player Elly Swets at the Wakefield Theatre Royal & Opera House concert that I organized for John Adams. Bottom right is our performance at Apeldoorn Shopping Mall in Holland. Above that our concert at Schouwburg Orpheus Theatre in Apeldoorn, with full band including Geiss Lemmen on Lead Guitar, once of The Tumbleweeds.