Brum’s King Of Swing in Ritz charity fundraiser

Sunday afternoon event to mark legendary venue.

Award-winning vocal entertainer Chris King appears in a special three hour charity fundraising show at King’s Heath’s Fletchers Bar on Sunday 10th May to commemorate the glory days of the old Ritz Ballroom on King’s Heath’s York Road.

When the ballroom first opened in 1955, the audience danced the night away to the big band sounds of the Charlie Simpson Orchestra as well as early performances by crooners Vince Hill and Engelbert Humperdinck (then known as Gerry Dorsey). Later they danced the night away to great international rock’n’roll stars like Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent and also to up and coming English groups like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and the Move.

Chris’s show will include songs from all these different eras and is guaranteed to make any audience smile, laugh, sing and want to dance along to a great selection of the finest rock’n’roll and swing songs ever written from the 1950’s and 1960’s onwards in a unique concert to commemorate the rich musical legacy of the old ballroom.

Previously voted Best Male Vocal Entertainer by the Birmingham Entertainments Secretaries Council, Chris always provides a great show that has proven to be a big hit with audiences of all ages.

Bob Prew and Ken Whittaker, joint organisers of the King’s Heath Walk of Fame, said: “We would urge everyone to buy tickets now as this is a show not to be missed. It will provide a fantastic 3 hours of entertainment and is the latest in a great series of Lazy Sunday Afternoon Sessions in King’s Heath we are organising to commemorate the incredibly rich musical legacy of our area and to raise money to create a new Ritz for a new generation.”

Advance tickets cost just £3 from the Kitchen Garden Cafe or £3.30 from www.wegottickets.com/event/31174 Any remaining tickets will cost £4 on the door.