Charlie Landsborough came to singing relatively late in his career and has built up a devoted fan base. Before he comes to Blackburn he spoke to us.

TALKING to Charlie Landsborough, it’s easy to understand why he’s won himself so many fans.

The genial Liverpudlian still seems genuinely surprised at his success as a singer — a career he didn’t really embark on seriously until he was in his fifties.

“I still can’t quite believe that I can go out and do something I love, meet some fantastic people on the way and get paid for it,” he said.

Having worked as a teacher, on the railways and even in a fibre glass factory — as well as, in his own words, “being a down and out” — Charlie is an unlikely star.

He always sang in the pubs in his native Liverpool but now he is known around the world for his heartfelt songs and amusing anecdotes.

As part of a major UK tour Charlie will play King George’s Hall, Blackburn, on Sunday, November 2, and he’s hoping this visit will prove a little less eventful than the last.

“I’ve not been to Blackburn for ages,” he said. “I think the last time we came the night before we’d been in Derby and the sound man set off for Blackburn with my keys.

“In the end we had to get a taxi from Derby to Blackburn and I arrived about 15 minutes before I was due to go on stage.”

Wherever Charlie plays he’s assured of a few familiar faces in the crowd.

“Someone once said that I didn’t have a fan base — I’d got a family. I really like that,” he said. “It’s like having a big arm wrapped round you.

“I’m always being given gifts by fans, which is wonderful. I did a show in Norwich once and said that Daniel O’Donnell gets cups of tea from his audience but that I’d prefer whisky.

“The next time I played there the whole of the front row stood up and handed all these miniatures to me.”

Charlie’s autumn tour takes in 22 dates in just over a month, a fairly hectic schedule.

“To be honest, if I’m out on the road, I like to keep going,” said Charlie. “I travel with my wife in a motorhome and we have a great laugh, although we may pop home after the Blackburn date to see the grandchildren in Liverpool. My son’s the tour manager so he’ll want to see the kids as we’re in the area.”

After the tour, Charlie will be taking a break over Christmas before returning to the studio to work on a new album.

l Charlie Landsborough plays King George’s Hall, Blackburn, on Sunday, November 2. Details from the box office on 0844 847 1664.