Last updated 15:19, Saturday, 05 April 2008

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Marc Almond, booked to appear at the Maryport Blues Festival

EIGHTIES pop icon Marc Almond, guitar legend Jimmie Vaughan and soulstress Ruby Turner join Jools Holland for the 10^th Maryport Blues Festival.  

Marc Almond had a string of international hits with Dave Ball as the first successful British electro-duo Soft Cell.

Still popular today is their 1981 multi-million selling version of Tainted Love, which is regularly aired with the duo's other hit singles Bedsitter, Numbers, Torch and Say Hello Wave Goodbye.

Soft Cell notched up more than 10 million record sales worldwide and established a style that influenced other musicians.

Jimmie Vaughan, considered one of the most respected guitarists in the world, will make his only UK performance at the event, which takes place between July 25 and July 27.

Organisers say his appearance is a huge coup for the festival and will attract the attention of the music press nationally and bring visitors from all over the UK.

Vaughan, who will headline the Saturday night at the festival, founded The Fabulous Thunderbirds and toured for years.

He is a multiple Grammy award recipient and is the elder brother of the late guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan.

He will be performing with his Tilt-A-Whirl band.

Vaughan first played the guitar at 13 and by the age of 15 he had started a band. At 16 years old he had opened for Jimi Hendrix in Dallas.

In the mid-1970s he founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds who went on to storm the pop charts with the song Tuff Enough.

As a guest musician, he has appeared on Bob Dylan's Under the Red Sky, Carlos Santana's Havana Moon, Willie Nelson's Milk Cow Blues, and BB King and Eric Clapton's Riding with the King.

Vaughan has won four Grammy Awards, most recently for Do You Get The Blues?

Ruby Turner is one of the best voices in popular music and has a voice that has been likened to Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin.

Her major break came in the mid 1980s, when she was asked to join Culture Club at the height of their stardom.

Hits include If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) and I'd Rather Go Blind.

Also appearing on the Sunday will be Louise Marshall, the newest member of the Jools Holland Rhythm and Blues Band.

This year's festival will also include a Blues School Show on the Thursday night.

Schools from all over Allerdale will be invited to showcase their bands. Seven to 11 year olds will have the chance to play in the afternoon with older students performing at night.

Organisers say the school show will give young people the chance to be involved in the largest music festival in Maryport.

People are again being given the opportunity to pay for tickets in instalments through the Maritime Museum on Shipping Brow, Maryport.