HEATHER Small, billed as The Voice of M People, will play Fibbers, York, on April 17.

As the focal point of M People, she had a string of Nineties' hits that included Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero, also charting with the albums Elegant Slumming in 1993, Bizarre Fruit in 1994 and Fresco in 1997.

The London-born soul singer has since released two solo albums: Proud in 2000 and Close To A Miracle in 2006. The title track from Proud became the soundtrack to a host of major events, such as London’s successful 2012 Olympics bid, the 60th anniversary of VE Day in Trafalgar Square, London, and the official ceremony to mark the handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London.

Not content to rest on her laurels at 54, Heather’s passion for music gives her the impetus to keep moving forward and constantly challenge herself to break new ground. "If you got the feeling I do when I sing, you’d understand," he says.

Heather performed at York Barbican in June 2003 and fronted M People in the open air at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, in June 2008 and at York Barbican in October 2013 on the 20th anniversary of Elegant Slumming's release.

Tickets for Heather's 7.45pm concert are on sale at £29.50 plus booking fee from fibbers.co.uk or on 08444 771000.