After 50 years of belting out hits such as Lilac Wine, Sunshine After the Rain and Don’t Cry Out Loud, Elkie Brooks is still going strong and is celebrating her half century in the music business with an anniversary tour that calls in on Hampton Pool on July 24.

The outdoor gig is part of Hampton Pool’s Summer Picnic Concerts series and Brooks, known for the extraordinary power of her voice, is delighted to still be on the road.

“I’ve had my ups and downs over the years but it is all going rather well now - we’ve been getting fab reactions and the band and I are really enjoying it,” she says.

“In fact it is a lot more enjoyable now than when I first started as I’ve got a lot more confidence in my own ability. I like to think my voice has got better over the years. I’ve learnt to relax more and pace myself.”

Brooks scored her first hit as a 15-year-old in the early 60s with a cover of the Etta James song, Something's Got A Hold On Me, and has since gone on to record 20 solo albums and also enjoyed success in rock band Vinegar Joe, with 80s idol Robert Palmer.

Although Brooks will be singing plenty of her best known tunes at the Hampton Hill concert, she says her anniversary tour is not an excuse for her to get stuck in the past. As if to prove that point, the set will also be sprinkled with tracks from Brooks’ most recent record, Powerless.

“I’m not one for looking back much because if you do you end up living in the past, but it would be silly of me not to sing the hits,” she adds.

“Keeping those old songs fresh has a lot to do with the band and the arrangements they play and, of course, it is wonderful when the audience are very receptive to them.

“I just put everything into every song that we do and I try not to get complacent. People are not stupid, they can tell if you are not enjoying it.

Elkie Brooks, Hampton Pool, High Street, Hampton, July 24, 7.15pm (doors), £26, hamptonpool.co.uk