CHARLIE Landsborough heard a story about a blind child asking ‘what colour is the wind?’ and the phrase inspired his first big hit.

The singer/songwriter is much loved on the country music scene and is hugely popular in Ireland, but he has also won respect from Americana followers and even rock fans.

What draws all genres together in Charlie’s music is simply that he is a storyteller.

All his songs are narrative, painting a picture of hard times in the back streets of Birkenhead, life in a large family, his service in the army, his work as a teacher and then his epiphany, at the ripe age of 50, when he jumped ship from the nine to five jobs to become an entertainer.

Since then Charlie has travelled the world singing his songs and telling his tales and on Sunday, November 1 he will be making a welcome return to the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon.

The autumn tour sees Charlie travelling with his own four-strong band.

His hit record Still Can’t Say Goodbye was recorded in Nashville in 1999 and resulted in the singer winning the BMCA Best Male Vocalist (2000) for the third year in succession, and the Southern Country Award for best album. In Swindon he will be singing a selection from his varied back catalogue.

Tickets to see Charlie in Swindon from 8pm are £19.50 from 01793 524481.

— Flicky Harrison