LEGENDARY guitarist Albert Lee is set to return to Teesdale in the autumn with a date confirmed for September.
Mr Lee, a firm favourite with residents in the dale, was scheduled to perform at Mickleton Live in May last year, but the date was postponed when the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced.
With lockdown restrictions still in place, promoters Sue and Steve Brown, who help organise Mickleton Live, at Mickleton Village Hall, looked at a date later in the year.
Mrs Brown said: “I’m really pleased that he [Mr Lee] is prepared to do it.
“I did think he may not have wanted to.”
The Grammy-award winning musician was born in Britain but moved to America in the early seventies.
He has been a regular performer at Mickleton Live in recent years.
“Like all musicians, he wants to be out there performing to a live audience. It’s not the same online. It has been very hard for musicians and performers in general,” said Mrs Brown.
“We need to be prepared with dates and we hope and pray that it is going to be a lot better for everybody.”
It is hoped additional dates for other popular performers will be confirmed shortly.
Mrs Brown said: “We should hear fairly soon from Voodoo Room. The date we had been talking about was already booked for a wedding.
“We’re moving in the right direction and we all need a bit of a lift. We’re all really looking forward to seeing all those who have supported us in the past, as it has been over a year and I really can’t wait.
“We are hoping to have news of a rescheduled date for Limehouse Lizzy soon. We emailed their agent and are just waiting to hear.”
“We need to get things going, but we need to do it safely,” she added.
“A lot of our regular supporters are in that age bracket that has been most at risk and we want to make sure they are completely happy.
“Whereas once they may have been happy to share a table, they might not be now, so we will have to wait and see.”
Tickets for Mr Lee’s performance on Saturday, September 11, are available online at www.mickletonlive.uk using PayPal, priced at £33.
Alternatively, you can telephone Mrs Brown on 01833 640854.
