PAVILION: The Matt Monro story UK tour opens in Bournemouth later this year

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THE MATT MONRO STORY

The Final Tour Autumn 2018

Celebrating the life and music of the legendary Matt Monro.

The Matt Monro story is an inspired and unforgettable show.  A unique event of music, warmth and love, keeping the memory of the man who was known as “The Man with the Golden Voice”, alive.

From Born Free to Walk Away to Portrait Of My Love, be prepared to be transported in time by this tribute to one of Britain’s most popular and endearing singers, named “the singers’ singer” by his peers.

The show is enhanced by audio visual and narration.

Tickets are now on sale at BH Live or by calling BH Live Tickets: 0844 576 3000

THE MUSIC OF THE LEGEND THAT IS MATT MONRO LIVES ON

Matt Monro was born in Shoreditch, London and served in the British army forces in Hong Kong, where his talents were first noticed.  He became a frequent winner of the Radio Rediffusion’s Talent Time show, hosted by Ray Cordeiro in 1950 and went on to perform with the BBC Show Band.  Winifred Atwell became his mentor and influenced his career. It is she who gave him his stage name and was instrumental in Matt signing with Decca Records with whom she was also signed.

George Martin invited Matt to make a demo recording for Peter Sellers, in the voice and style of Frank Sinatra for Seller’s album Songs for the Swinging Sellers.

Sellers admitted he could not improve on the track and it was added to the album under the name of Fred Flange.  It became such a popular track that George Martin signed him to Parlophone.

Between March 1960 and January 1966 Parlophone released nineteen Matt Monro singers, in addition to eight EPs and four LPs.  When Nat King Cole died, Capitol Records sought a replacement in Matt. Then came the trend for the Long Player (LP) and a move to the US soon followed.

Matt Monro died at the age of 54 but his legacy lives on in this unique biographical show as performed by Matt Monro Jnr.

Discography:

Albums: UK Chart Pos.

  • 1965 I Have Dreamed 20
  • 1966 This Is The Life! 25
  • 1967 Invitation to the Movies 30
  • 1980 Heartbreakers 5
  • 1982 Matt Monro – The Very Best of Matt Monro –
  • 2005 The Ultimate 7
  • 2007 From Matt with Love 30
  • 2010 The Greatest 28

Singles: UK Chart Pos

  • 1960 Portrait of My Love 3
  • 1960 My Kind of Girl 5
  • 1961 Why Not Now? / Can This Be Love 24
  • 1961 Gonna Build A Mountain 44
  • 1962 Softly As I Leave You/Is There Anything I can Do? 10
  • 1962 When Love Comes Along 46
  • 1962 My Love and Devotion 29
  • 1963 From Russia With Love 29
  • 1964 Walk Away 4
  • 1964 For Mama 23
  • 1965 Without Your (I Cannot Live) 37
  • 1965 Yesterday 8
  • 1973 And You Smiled 28

About Matt Monro Jnr:

When Matt Monro Jnr was only 13 years old he was invited by his father to join him on stage and perform a duet with him. From that moment on he knew that he wanted to be a singer and to repeat that unforgettable night in 1977.

Unfortunately the two Monro’s never got a chance to repeat the performance as in February 1985, Matt Monro died at the age of 54. Matt’s dream of sharing the stage with his father again had been shattered.

In 1986, a year after his father’s death, a tribute was organised at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London. Matt performed to over two thousand people. David Jacobs, the renowned DJ from Radio 2 was in the audience and subsequently announced on his radio show, “a new singer has emerged”. This led Matt to appear on the Bob Monkhouse’s Opportunity Knocks in 1986 where he came third in the competition. Bob Monkhouse offered Matt a place on his touring show. He did three years on the circuit, earning his dues as a singer and keeping his father’s name alive.

In 1989/90 Matt did a British tour with Cannon & Ball and Hinge & Bracket and from this the Matt Monro one-man-show was born. Matt toured with a nine-piece band, performing his own version of his father’s songs.

Matt Jnr signed with the EMI label in 1995 and thanks to the advent of modern technology was able to fulfil his dream from that night back in 1977 when he dreamt of singing with his Dad again. The album Matt Sings Monro is a collection of many of the best Matt Monro songs, done as duets with Matt Jnr following the example of Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole’s version of Unforgettable.

2005 saw Matt Jnr touring England with a new show The Legend Lives On, which was a year in the making and took the singer to over 40 concert venues across England. One of Matt’s personal highlights was working with his late father’s musical director, Mr Colin Keyes.

The shows are such a success that the experience has been repeated every year since and has established Matt Monro Jnr as a fine artist in his own right. Having successfully broken into the Asian market he has taken his unique brand to the Americas, Australasia, Singapore, Africa, Spain and the Philippines.

The shows combine nostalgia and personal memories of the late great Matt Monro.

A new Album

Later this year Matt Jnr is going back into the studios to record his 4th album. Called ‘A Father’s Legacy’ it will have an acoustic feel something the singer is very excited about. Matt bears a striking resemblance to his father and this show will visit his father’s most memorable songs mixed together with countless stories that go hand in hand with the music.

This makes the show a unique evening of music, warmth and love.  But that isn’t all the singer has to be excited about. After the outstanding success of last year’s tour “The Matt Monro Story”.  2018’s tour kicks off in Belfast in March and will go to 50 venues around England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales! It will be bigger and better. Matt said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about an upcoming tour. It’s going to be incredible”. I love meeting the fans after the show and I am always knocked out at the love they still have for my father. I always get very emotional and this year will not be any different, I can’t wait.”

Tour dates:

Date

Venue

Town

Box Office

SEPT

25-Sep-18

The Pavilion Theatre

Bournemouth

0844 576 3000

26-Sep-18

The Swan

High Wycombe

01494 512 000

27-Sep-18

Concorde Club

Eastleigh

023 8061 3989

28-Sep-18

Wyvern Theatre

Swindon

01793 524 481

29-Sep-18

Theatr Brycheiniog

Brecon

01874 611622

30-Sep-18

Richmond Theatre

Richmond

0844 871 7651

OCT

02-Oct-18

Forum Theatre

Billingham

01642 552663

03-Oct-18

Solihull Arts Centre

Solihull

0121 704 6962

04-Oct-18

Civic Theatre & Arts Centre

Rotherham

01709 823621

05-Oct-18

Wyllyotts Centre

Potters Bar

01707 660067

06-Oct-18

Marina Theatre

Lowestoft

01502 533200

07-Oct-18

Pomegranate Theatre

Chesterfield

01246 345 222

09-Oct-18

Corn Exchange

Ipswich

01473 433100

10-Oct-18

Gordon Craig Theatre

Stevenage

01438 363200

11-Oct-18

Millfield Theatre

Edmonton

020 880 76680

12-Oct-18

Playhouse Theatre

Epsom

01372 742555

13-Oct-18

Pavilion Theatre

Weymouth

01305 783225

17-Oct-18

Artrix

Bromsgrove

01527 577330

18-Oct-18

Towngate Theatre

Basildon

01268 465 465

19-Oct-18

WestCliff Theatre

Clacton

01255 433344

20-Oct-18

Princess Theatre

Hunstanton

01485 532252

21-Oct-18

Theatre Royal

Brighton

0844 871 7651

23-Oct-18

Orchard Theatre

Dartford

01322 220000

24-Oct-18

The Grove

Dunstable

01582 60 20 80

25-Oct-18

Customs House

South Shields

0191 454 1234

26-Oct-18

Easterbrook

Dumfries

01387 253383

27-Oct-18

City Halls

Glasgow

0141 353 8000

28-Oct-18

Beacon Arts Centre

Greenock

01475 723723

31-Oct-18

Whitehall Theatre

Dundee

01382 434940

NOV:

01-Nov-18

Tivoli

Aberdeen

01224 641122

2 & 3 Nov 18

Brunton Hall

Musselburgh

0131 665 2240

04-Nov-18

Epstein Theatre

Liverpool

0844 888 4411

07-Nov-18

The Brindley

Runcorn

0151 907 8360

08-Nov-18

Albert Halls

Bolton

01204 332157

09-Nov-18

Pittville Pump Rooms

Cheltenham

0844 576 2210

11-Nov-18

Viva Blackpool

Blackpool

01253 297297

15-Nov-18

Civic Centre

Trowbridge

01225 765072

16-Nov-18

Princess Pavilion

Falmouth

01326 211222

17-Nov-18

Queens Theatre

Barnstaple

01271 316063

18-Nov-18

The Exchange

Sturminster Newton

01258 475137

19-Nov-18

The Hawth

Crawley

01293 553636

20-Nov-18

The Alban Arena

St Albans

01727 844488

22-Nov

Rhodes Arts Centre

Bishops Stortford

01279 710200

To purchase your tickets:

Tickets are now on sale at BH Live or by calling BH Live Tickets: 0844 576 3000

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