ROY G Hemmings was once a member of The Drifters, that ever-revolving door of a legendary American harmony group, working alongside founder Johnny Moore for ten years and more.

Now, his new show carries a warning: Roy G Hemmings Will Bring Funky Beats and An Acute Case Of Dancing Feet to York Barbican for two hours on Sunday night in Sounds Of Philadelphia And Motown.

As the title suggests, Roy is combining the soul sounds of three American institutions, Tamla Motown, the Sound of Philadelphia and Stax Records, "We’re gonna do all the greats: Me And Mrs Jones, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Hold Back The Night, Love Train, Givin’ Up Givin’ In, Stop In The Name Of Love, and you know there’s gonna be a few Drifters classics amongst them all too," says Roy, who will be accompanied by his band The Dictionary Of Soul, as well as the all-girl group The Love Supreme.

The tour has been well received, with its selection of songs by The Three Degrees, Harold Melvin And The Blue Notes, Stevie Wonder, Billy Paul, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Martha Reeves and The O'Jays, making the travelling all the more worthwhile.

"Hey, I love life on the road; it’s the best. It's good to see that Motown still holds such a strong bond with people; it’s the best music in the world," says Roy. "We can see people of all ages in the audience, the music connects with everyone and it’s great to see younger fans getting into it.

"It's fantastic, the wide range of people we get, and it looks like this music is growing an even bigger audience. That's because these songs were well made; they had a message of love, which will turn over and over and never die. That's life. They reflect life and love."

Roy prides himself on the old-school qualities of his show. "I take it to a different level to guys who were never there. Nothing against young singers that are coming up, but they have lots of things that prop them up," he says. "All we had was ourselves, our voices."

They had the look too. "There was nothing better than having flares and an Afro; you can't have one without the other," says Roy, who served in The Drifters from the 1990s through to the 2000s. "The Drifters were always a working band and that's how it still it is today."

He brings this supreme professionalism to Sounds Of Philadelphia And Motown. "It's a nightmare to have to choose the songs because it's such a vast catalogue, and because I'm known from The Drifters, where I led the group for four-five years after Johnny Moore, I have to do a couple of songs because the audience have requested them. So, what I do is pick as many of the songs that I personally like as I can!"

Tickets for Sunday's 7.30pm show are on sale at £22.50 on 0844 854 2757, at yorkbarbican.co.uk or in person from the Barbican box office.