Cilla Black tribute singer speaks ahead of Lancaster show

Cilla and the Shades. From left, Anna Slater, Emily Clark, Victoria Jones and Nicola Twardowski. Picture by Jamie D'Annunzio.

After dying her hair red Bootle singer Victoria Jones was overwhelmed with comments from fans comparing her to 60s Liverpool songbird Cilla Black.

“I’m not even a natural red head as soon as I changed my hair colour, and with the accent, everyone said that I was just like Cilla, I was blown away by the comments,” said Victoria.

“I believe I was born in the wrong decade.”

Victoria Jones who plays Cilla. Picture by Scott Candi.

Victoria will front Cilla and the Shades of the 60s, along with the Shades Trio, taking audiences on a musical journey through Cilla’s life and some of the biggest chart hits of the era.

Classic hit songs such as Alfie, Anyone Who Had A Heart, Step Inside Love and many more will also celebrate the great songwriting partnerships of the time including Lennon/McCartney, Bacharach/David, Lamont/Dozier/Holland, and Greenaway/Coo.

“It is a real honour to sing her songs and carry that legacy on,” said the 34-year-old.

“I do feel nervous if I know there is a Cilla fan in the audience, I don’t want to let them down.”

Victoria first shot to fame on the BBC’s The One and Only show as a tribute act to pop singer Kylie.

Before going on TV Victoria was involved in a car crash that nearly ended her career.

“I was doing a panto in Durham, I was Wendy Darling, someone gave us a lift home and we got into a car crash, I fractured my pelvis and had to have crutches for a long time.”

After the show, which was hosted by Graham Norton, Victoria travelled the world singing.

When asked about how she finds the transition from Kylie to Cilla, she said: “I love singing the Cilla songs, the Kylie songs are very poppy, they are good party songs but with Cilla there is the emotion and the heartache and because they are ballads you can express that a bit more.

“Growing up in Liverpool I knew of Cilla, of course, from Blind Date and other shows, I didn’t realise she had such a huge singing career, and how she fought off stars from America to get amazing songs written for her.

“She left such a legacy, she will always be around, even though she is not here, her music will carry on in time.”

Cilla Black passed away on August 1, 2015 after a fall caused a traumatic head injury.

Cilla and the Shades of the 60s is at the Lancaster Grand Theatre on Sunday February 26 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £19 and are available by calling the box office on 01524 64695.