Joe Longthorne MBE in Concert

Joe Longthorne MBE in Concert 

It was through the London Weekend Television series ‘Search for a Star’ in 1981 that Joe first became known to the British TV audiences as a singer and impressionist, and his success on the show led to appearances at the London Palladium and a month long season at London’s Talk of the Town. Proving popular with TV audiences Joe Longthorne was given his own prime time TV series ‘The Joe Longthorne Show’ that ran from 1988–1991. An appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in 1989 secured Joe’s place as one of the UK’s top entertainers but just as he reached this pinnacle of fame he was taken ill and struck down with lymphoma. Responding well to treatment Joe’s tenacity and determination to get back on stage saw him take on a gruelling UK tour and a trip to Australia resulting in sell-out performances at the Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the London Palladium. His music videos ‘Live in Concert’ and ‘A Man and His Music’ continued to capture the magic of a live concert by this inimitable entertainer and helped grow an army of fans worldwide. However just as his ‘Star’ was rising once again, bad mismanagement of his finances by previous managers saw him plunged into bankruptcy and the illness that had been under control worsened and deteriorated into the life threatening leukaemia. The next few years saw Joe bravely battle the illness with visits in and out of hospital and yet courageously continue to appear on stage giving performances that made him an inspiration for many. In 2006 at his most seriously ill he underwent a bone marrow transplant that was to save his life. Later that year he performed again to a sell-out audience at the London Palladium and in 2007 was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Variety Club of Great Britain. In December of 2012 Joe will be receiving his MBE from The Queen at Buckingham Palace, so 2013 will be a big year for him.