Jools Holland will be coming to The Anvil in Basingstoke on June 14 at 7.30pm.
Also appearing will be Gilson Lavis, Imelda May, Toby Lee, Ruby Turner, Louise Marshall and Sumudu Jayatilaka.
At the age of eight Jools could play the piano fluently by ear, and by his early teens he was proficient and confident enough to appear regularly in pubs in south-east London and the East End docks.
At the age of 15 he was introduced to Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford; he joined Squeeze, followed by Gilson Lavis shortly afterwards. In 1987 Jools formed The Jools Holland Big Band with Lavis, which gradually metamorphosed into the current 19-piece Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, which consists of pianist, organist, drummer, three female vocalists, guitar, bass guitar, two tenor saxophones, two alto saxophones, baritone saxophone, three trumpets and three trombones. As well as formidable live performances, Jools has maintained a prolific recording career since 1996, which includes the multi-million selling Jools Holland and Friends series.
Jools' career as a television presenter has run parallel to his musical career. He started in the early 1980s when he interviewed The Police for a documentary made while they were recording at George Martin's Montserrat studio.
Jools auditioned to become co-presenter, with Paula Yates, of The Tube, which achieved immediate cult status and discovered a new generation of musicians and comedians.
After presenting Juke Box Jury and The Happening, Jools was asked to host a new music programme for BBC2 which combined his musical and presenting skills. This was Later…with Jools Holland.
For tickets, priced £64 or £54, call 01256 844244 or visit https://www.anvilarts.org.uk/events/jools-holland