Elvis meets Buddy: Two legends on tour
Elvis Presley never shared the stage with his good pal Buddy Holly – but two West Midlands musicians are putting that right with a brand-new touring show which is gaining rave reviews.
Elvis Meets Buddy has been created by top tribute artists Andy James and Paul Birch, blending the music of two musical icons to celebrate the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll.
Andy, who lives near Stafford, is an award-winning Elvis Presley tribute artist who has performed as ‘The King’ all over the world – and gets his costumes from the same supplier that made many of the star’s iconic suits.
And Paul, from Willenhall, has been recreating the magic of Buddy Holly on stage for nearly a decade.
Now they’ve teamed up to give audiences two classic tributes for the price of one – and as well as performing across the West Midlands, they’ve also started receiving bookings as far afield as Greece, and Los Angeles.
Local dates over the coming weeks include Sedgley Working Men’s Club on October 3, Old Orscott Sports & Social Club in Birmingham on October 10, and the Soldiers Club in Hednesford on December 13.
“We met through the tribute industry – I went to see Paul’s show one of the days and was blown away by it. Our friendship just grew from there,” Andy explained.
“We clicked straight away when we met, both as friends and on stage,” Paul said. “I just love everything about Buddy Holly, from the songs, to the energy he had, and his guitar playing. People ask me to pick a favourite song, but I can’t – I just love them all.”
Audiences are treated to back-to-back one-hour sets, followed by some surprise duets that celebrate the interplay between Elvis’s southern swagger and Buddy’s melodic ingenuity.
“The reviews that we have been getting from our first few shows have been amazing – the audiences just seem to love it,” Andy said. “We’re going to blast America – once we get a few shows under our belt, I know that audiences are going to love us.”
The duo say Elvis Meets Buddy is designed to bridge generations and revive the soundtrack of youth. Each performance is an invitation to sing along, dance in the aisles, and revel in the enduring charm of two cultural icons.
“We’re very proud of the quality of sound and production we have perfected,” Andy added. “We don’t just turn up with a microphone and couple of speakers – this is a full production show like you would see in a theatre with our own sound and lighting engineers.”
Whether you're a die-hard Presley devotee, a Holly aficionado, or someone just discovering the magic of early rock ‘n’ roll, they promise audiences the ultimate musical time machine.
For all the latest dates, and news, see facebook.com/ElvisMeetsBuddy
