A star-studded charity event, celebrating the life and legacy of the great Bobby Ball, will take place in a Lancashire town in November.

Rock On Variety Show will be held at Blackpool’s prestigious Opera House on Friday November 12 and tickets for the event go on sale tomorrow (1 October).

Bobby’s long-time stage partner, Tommy Cannon, will be accompanied on the night by a host of actors, comedy stars and singers who are all coming together to raise money for the charities closest to Bobby’s heart - Lytham’s Lowther Pavilion and Blue Skies Hospitals Fund.

Olivier and BAFTA award winning actress and singer Sheridan Smith, people’s tenor Russell Watson, musical theatre boyband Collabro, Blackpool’s very own The Nolans and Spandau Ballet’s Steve Norman will all perform on the night.

 

 

There will be comedy routines from Jason Manford, ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent finalist Steve Royle, Bobby’s sons The Harper Brothers as well as Jonnie Casson and Phil Walker.

Bobby’s former Mount Pleasant co-stars Sally Lindsay, Sue Vincent, Ted Robbins (who lives in Rossendale) and Dan Ryan will all perform together, as will TV stars Sherrie Hewson and Cheryl Fergison.

There will also be performances from Fylde-based artists who all knew and loved Bobby, including D3VA featuring Tracey Jordan, Caz Kay and Diane Lee Carol, Peter Anthony, Mark Jay, Paul McCormick, Paul Dobie, Kel Wood and Jane Dean.

The NHS North West Ambulance Choir will also perform and will be accompanied by the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra.

Further performances are still to be announced and organisers promise some surprise appearances on the night.

Rock On The Variety Show is one of two planned events organised by the charitable foundation The Bobby Ball Foundation to raise money for the charities Bobby was a patron of, and also includes a glittering ball – The Bobby Ball – being held on Saturday November 13 in Blackpool Winter Gardens’ Empress Ballroom.

Bobby sadly died in October at the age of 76. His widow Yvonne said her beloved Bobby would be thrilled at the line-up for Rock On.

Yvonne said: “I am absolutely blown away by the artists who have all agreed to perform in Bobby’s memory.

“To see that stage filled with people who are helping raise money for the charities that were so close to Bobby will be very special.

“I cannot thank the performers and all the people who are supporting this night enough. It is going to be a wonderful evening and one which I hope raises a lot of money for these two incredible organisations.”

The Bobby Ball Foundation was launched earlier this year to support the organisations Bobby was so passionate about across the Fylde coast.

Money raised from Rock On The Variety Show and The Bobby Ball will be given to Lytham’s Lowther Pavilion and Blue Skies Hospitals Fund – two organisations Bobby was an active patron and supporter of, as well as supporting the cost of the planned Bobby Ball statue to be erected in Lytham’s Lowther Gardens.

How can I get tickets?

Tickets for the event go on sale at 9am on 1 October.

Ticket prices start from £35.

You can buy them on the Winter Gardens Blackpool website: https://www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk/

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