With six platinum, 11 gold and seven silver albums to her name, Barbara Dickson is one of Scotland's biggest-selling female artists of all time.
Barbara also carved out a successful career on stage with theatre work – appearing in award-winning productions including Spend, Spend, Spend and Blood Brothers.
She has an OBE and an Olivier Award to her name too.
An extraordinary talent - who has spanned decades and genres on her journey.
Barbara is back on tour and back at a familiar venue imminently, with a date at The Stables in Wavendon on February 17.
Fans will be well catered for, with a perfect set of new material mingling with classic tracks.
Barbara shares her musical loves – including a penchant for symphonic metallers Nightwish – with www.totalmk.co.uk in this week's On Track...
The song that first awakened your musical senses
La Mer by Charles Trenet. It is a wonderful recording and full of atmosphere. My mother used to play the 78rpm record on the radiogram when I was little.
Physical or digital – how do you take your music?
I do prefer to listen properly in a room with a CD playing. I work with an iPod, but never listen for pleasure to it. I don't like music radio other than 6 Music or Folk on 2 on R2.
I prefer R4!
The first time you thought 'Music – this is the job for me'
I never thought of music as a job. I learned songs and played them for pleasure and then for people. It snowballed from there and I still see music as a vocation.
Your best on stage memory...
Recently, my first 'live' appearance in the US last year, in the sunshine at a Celtic Music Festival!
And the worst gig you've ever done
A social club in Middlesborough in about 1970 where nobody listened but I kept going so I would be paid!
What made you take up singing?
I have always sung for the love of music and its emotional impact on me. I cannot imagine life without it.
Which one other song by another artist do you wish you had written
Hollow Point by Chris Wood
And one – by yourself – which holds special significance
The Same Sky, a lovely song I wrote with Charlie Dore
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be, and what would you do?
James Taylor living, to see how he really plays guitar, and dead, Mozart, to write music leaning over a table with no instrument, jus to have it coming out of my head!
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
I really like some hip hop and rap, but tend not to use it. Symphonic metal I love, especially Nightwish. I am influenced by them!
And any genre of music you simply can't stand?
No. I am not impressed by ultra produced pop music, but I understand why it's there.
Finally, plug your Stables date for us – what can we expect?
An organic mixture of folk and songwriter material with a dose of traditional music. Songs from the new CD, Winter, not previously heard, and a couple of old favourites!
> Tickets are selling fast. Call to book on 01908 280800 or visit www.stables.org
