Ryan King, a current member of The Drifters, is starring in the musical Stand By Me, which is heading for Swindon as part of a UK tour.

The show is the musical history of the iconic band and the story of Clyde PcPhatter, the former choir boy from Alabama, who set up The Drifters. The band of harmony singers has lasted six decades with more than 65 line-up changes.

The musicians have had some ups and downs including a case of mistaken identity. In 1954 the whole line-up was arrested, as they fitted the description of suspects in a bank robbery.

Ryan said he loved getting his teeth into the acting role of the show.

"I like acting out the story of the state troopers arresting us and putting us in jail. It is exciting. My favourite bit of acting is a scene where I am drunk, I love acting that out, falling all over the stage, with the band dressed as soldiers.''

The show travels through the decades, with scenes involving The Andrews Sisters, scenes in the music studio, singing around the one mic, growing up in Harlem in the 1950s, arena gigs and even a section about Barack Obama aspiring to become president.

"He comes up on the podium and sings: Only In America,'' said Ryan. Former members of The Drifters are also in the show, but they are on film telling their anecdotes behind the live band. Songs include Under the Boardwalk, Saturday Night at the Movies, Up on the Roof, On Broadway and many more.

Ryan says that being in Stand By Me has taught him a lot both about acting and about things in his own life.

"It's about respecting the music, you can't just do it your way, it has to be authentic for the fans,'' he said.

The singer says he fell in with The Drifters almost by accident as his godfather was their lawyer.

"It was weird, my godfather told them about me and I audition for them,'' he said. Working with the American doo wap band brought Ryan into contact with some of his childhood idols, sharing the stage with acts such as Dionne Warwick, the Four Tops and Robert Flack. "We did a tour with the Temptations too, it was amazing.'' he said.

Ryan was with The Drifters when they received the gold disc for the album Up On The Roof and when they performed on BBC TV's Strictly Come Dancing.

Music was all part of growing up for Ryan as his dad was the sound engineer for The Rolling Stones.

"He would talk about all these artists such as Marvin Gaye, saying: Me and Marv were in the studio today. He was old school.''

Ryan now has sons of his own and a twin brother, Jordan King, who also followed he music path and is currently starring in the musical How Sweet It Is.

Along with touring in Stand By Me and playing gigs with The Drifters, Ryan is also in a classical pop band called Othello.

"I am up to the challenge,'' he said.

Stand By Me is at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre on Friday July 14 at 7.30pm, Tickets are £28.50 from 01793 524 481 or visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison