A MUSIC stage is to be set up at next year’s annual Rhythm and Blues Festival in memory of talented singer Jessica Foxley.

The stage, held during the August Bank Holiday event in Colne, is aimed at giving young aspiring singers and musicians the opportunity to perform in front of a live audience.

Singer Jessica had just started achieving musical success before she died when the car she was travelling in hit a wall in Skipton Old Road, Colne, in July.

The stage idea was the brainchild of Jessica’s parents Paul and Margaret Foxley and brother Oliver of Laneshawbridge.

It’s part of their new music project called “Fast Forward,” for which they are hoping to get charity status.

Former Westholme pupil Jessica worked for Pendle Leisure Trust along with her boyfriend Thomas Petty,25 and their friend Philip Wright, 25, who were also killed in the crash.

Margaret said: “It is still in the early stages but we are hoping to have an audition process from people from the Pendle area who want to perform on the stage.

"It will be open to solo artists as well as groups.”