THE life of one of the greatest female blues singers of all time will be celebrated in a new show coming to Manchester on Monday.

Vika Bull will act as both narrator and vocalist in At Last: The Etta James Story which has proved a box office sensation in Australia.

“I suppose you’d call it a narrative concert,” said Vika. “I tell her story from start to finish. I narrate the story with our trumpet player Tibor and then we sing the songs. But we don’t do the song chronologically - it’s whatever song that fits with a particular emotion, whatever fits with the story.”

In a career which started in the Fifties, Etta James was one of the most influential singers combining blues and R&B. Her back catalogue includes classics such as I’d Rather Go Blind, Something’s Got A Hold Of Me and At Last.

She won six Grammy Awards and was inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Blues Halls of Fame.

Her personal life was a tumultuous affair as she battled both drug and alcohol addiction. She died in 2012 aged 73.

Taking on the challenge of someone ranked the 22nd greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine would prove too much for many artists, but Vika is relishing it.

“I’m trying to capture the feeling of Etta James,” she said. “I can’t sing as she sang, who could? But I’m trying to do it as close as I can. It’s certainly not doing an impression, I’m just trying to honour her as best I can.”

In Australia, Vika is known for her work with the band The Black Sorrows and also for singing with her sister Linda.

“I haven’t had to change the way I sing because I’ve always been a belter like Etta,” said Vika. “But it is a very tough sing, it’s a very challenging show as she’s pretty always on 11. Even with ballads like Sunday Kind Of Love they are very powerful songs, so it is very much a vocal workout

“That’s why I’m a bit hoarse talking to you,” she laughed, “having done three shows in a row.

“The big challenge in taking this show on tour is to stay vocally fit.”

Even before taking on the show, Vika was a huge Etta James fan.

“I love her voice, particularly in the Fifties when she was first discovered. I love the R&B and doo-wop style - that’s what I fell in love with.”

The show features 23 Etta James songs but Vika admits there could be so many others included.

“When you talk to the hardcore fans they are always pointing out ones we should have considered doing,” she said. “Believe me, we did, but you can’t sing them all - there are just too many songs.”

Vika remains surprised that Etta James appears to be still a relatively unknown artist even though she has influenced whole generations of musicians from the Rolling Stones to Amy Winehouse.

“The fact that she’s still waiting to be discovered by so many people astounds me,” said Vika. “People may know the songs but won’t know they were her songs. It’s sad in a way. I don’t know why she hasn’t had that that mass recognition.

“Hopefully this show will go some way to redress the balance.”

At Last: The Etta James Story, Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, Monday, April 10. Details from 0161 907 5555