Step Right Up to see Jaki as she celebrates Christmas and career in Dudley
Jaki Graham has been 'Round and Around' during a career of over 40 years but the much loved singer is looking forward as well as back.
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She is celebrating the hits and Christmas in a concert at Dudley Town Hall on Friday night which is being billed as a 'Hometown Gig.'
The loveable and always bubbly soul singer, who had six top 20 singles in the 1980s and a US Billboard number one, has became synonymous during her career with the West Midlands and the Black Country, having been born at Dudley Road Hospital on September 15 1956.
Jaki came through a golden era for music, listing her contemporaries as the likes of Go West, Heaven 17, Nik Kershaw, Kim Wilde, Billy Ocean and Five Star.
She can't help looking back with nostalgia, on a time where singles sold hundreds of thousands of copies and downloads and Spotify were a distant fantasy.
But she has a new album in the pipeline for next year and although she admits to 'dinosaur tendencies' when it comes to the modern age, she is still relishing the future.
She said: "I think if you went through the eighties whether as an artist or a music fan you cannot help looking back on it with massive fondness.
"The music, the parties, the hair! It was just such a roller-coaster from appearing on Top of the Pops in front of millions watching to countless gigs and appearances and just the number of records sold, the artists are still going strong now thanks in some part to the likes of YouTube and other channels but the music still resonates.
"Perhaps I have slowed down a little and I leave the promotion and the organising to others but that allows me to do what I have always loved doing, singing and performing."
"It is always good to see the other artists who were so big in the 1980s but are still performing now because the thirst for that age is still so great.
"When we get together it is great to have a catch up and find out how they are doing, the likes of Nik (Kershaw), Billy (Ocean) and Denise (From Five Star) became such good friends and still are to this day."
Jaki said the modern era of life sometimes passes her by but she tries to keep up as much as possible.
She laughed: "Maybe I have reached that age the same as a lot of people, who don't get everything about modern life. That's not to say I don't try but I can be a bit of a dinosaur at times although it is great to meet the younger people who have discovered mine and other 80s artist through social media or the likes of Netflix.
"And the new album is in the pipeline I don't know too much about it but although I love performing the hits, music does move on and artists have to move with it and that will be the intention."
The Christmas gig will give Jaki a chance to meet old friends on her 'home patch' and celebrate the festive season as well as her career.
Expect to hear Round and Around, Step Right Up, Set Me Free, Breaking Away and more including the cover version of 'Ain't Nobody' which hit number one on the US Dance charts in 1994 and two duets with David Grant including 'Could it Be I'm Falling in Love' which started it all off.
Jaki said: "There will be some Christmas numbers plus of course the hits and some soul covers, a bit of everything but most of all it will be great to perform in front of a hometown audience.
"The fans have been so loyal, they turn up wherever I play but I was born a stones throw from Dudley so to play a festive gig on the doorstep if you like will be special and I hope to meet as many as possible and celebrate a great time of year."
To book tickets for Friday's gig at Dudley Town Hall go to https://boroughhalls.co.uk/jaki-graham.html
