PETER BARTON & THE ALL STAR BAND

PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL & THE ANIMALS

THE MUSIC NEVER DIED — A VERY SPECIAL ROCK 'N' ROLL CHARITY CONCERT

Supporting Rosemere Cancer Foundation & Macmillan Cancer Support

There are concerts you put together because there's a tour to promote, an album to sell or another date to fill in the diary. And then there are concerts that mean something altogether different. Concerts where the music carries a deeper meaning, where old friendships are rekindled and where simply standing on a stage feels like the greatest privilege in the world. This is one of those concerts.

For more than half a century, Peter Barton has lived and breathed rock 'n' roll. From his teenage beginnings in Lancashire to decades touring Europe with The Animals and Creedence Clearwater Revived, music has been his life. But earlier this year, everything changed. Diagnosed with severe throat cancer affecting both sides of his throat and his larynx, Peter faced the terrifying possibility of losing the one thing he'd relied upon since the age of fourteen — his voice. A gruelling month of daily treatment at Rosemere Cancer Hospital in Preston was followed by two months of silence and recovery. Thanks to the extraordinary care of Blackburn ENT, Rosemere and the support of Macmillan, the news eventually came that everyone had hoped for. The treatment had worked. The cancer was gone.

Having recently returned to the stage for a handful of performances, carefully rebuilding his voice and confidence, Peter wanted to thank those who had helped him through one of the darkest chapter of his life. The result is a one-off charity matinee at Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre, bringing together old friends, former bandmates and genuine veterans of British rock 'n' roll for an afternoon celebrating survival, friendship and the music that has connected them for decades.

Rather than assembling another Creedence line-up, Peter has decided to revisit some of the musicians who helped build the band's reputation in the first place. A reunion of old friends with some serious rock 'n' roll history behind them.

And what a line-up! On guitar is Johnnie 'Guitar' Williamson, a veteran of Norwegian rock outfit Titanic and a musician who spent almost two decades alongside Peter in Creedence Clearwater Revived. Johnnie also shared more than a decade in The Animals alongside original drummer John Steel, legendary keyboard player Mick Gallagher, former Argent and Kinks bassist Jim Rodford and Peter Barton. Together, this formidable line-up carried the spirit of one of Britain's greatest R&B bands to audiences across Europe. With Gallagher's extraordinary keyboard pedigree, Rodford's musical authority and Steel's direct connection to the original Animals, this was a band steeped in genuine rock history. Johnnie's guitar playing provided the fire and blues-soaked energy that helped bring those classic songs roaring back to life.

Rejoining Peter is Chris Allen, one of the original founding members of Creedence Clearwater Revived, alongside Peter, Geoff Hammond and Simon Hough. Chris's impressive musical pedigree also includes The Animals, The Troggs and Denny Laine's band, and he had the privilege of performing alongside original Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine, the man responsible for that immortal opening guitar figure on House of the Rising Sun. Chris was there when the Creedence adventure first began, helping turn a shared love of John Fogerty's songwriting into a band that would entertain audiences across Europe for decades. Having him back on stage alongside Peter and Johnnie makes this a particularly special reunion.

Completing the core line-up is Wally Day, a genuine veteran of Lancashire's 1960s beat explosion who joined the Creedence ranks around 2010. Wally belongs to that generation of musicians who learned their craft in packed northern clubs and dance halls, when every band had to earn its reputation the hard way. A musician with rock 'n' roll running through his veins, Wally remains the solid backbone of any band he plays in, bringing decades of experience and an unshakeable sense of rhythm. All four musicians sing, giving the afternoon four distinctive voices and a wonderfully authentic old-school rock 'n' roll feel.

And there's another very special addition. Simon Hough, former lead vocalist of Scottish rock legends Big Country, former member of Denny Laine's band and co-founder of Creedence Clearwater Revived, will be joining the musicians to perform a handful of songs. Simon's return makes this something of a reunion of the original Creedence Clearwater Revived family. His musical journey has taken him from the anthemic Celtic rock of Big Country to working alongside former Moody Blues and Wings guitarist Denny Laine. Long before the countless European tours and thousands of miles on the road, Simon was there alongside Peter, Chris and Geoff Hammond helping lay the foundations of Creedence Clearwater Revived. Now, decades later, the opportunity to share a stage once again is something rather special. Expect a few memories, a few surprises and some wonderful music from a singer whose career has embraced several fascinating chapters of British rock history.

Musically, expect a glorious collision of two of rock's greatest catalogues. The swamp-soaked American rock 'n' roll of Creedence Clearwater Revival — Proud Mary, Bad Moon Rising, Green River, Fortunate Son, Born on the Bayou and Have You Ever Seen the Rain — alongside the raw, blues-drenched British R&B of The Animals, including House of the Rising Sun, We Gotta Get Out of This Place, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood and It's My Life. Two bands from opposite sides of the Atlantic who helped define the sound of the 1960s, both drawing deeply from the blues and rhythm and blues traditions that changed popular music forever. These aren't simply musicians paying tribute to the past. Several of them spent years performing this music alongside the very people who helped create it, giving the afternoon an authenticity that cannot be manufactured.

Opening the afternoon will be another very special guest, Bernard Southern, a seasoned rock 'n' roll veteran and former sideman to Linda Gail Lewis, sister of the legendary Jerry Lee Lewis. Bernard's musical background provides another connection to the wild, untamed spirit of early rock 'n' roll, when pounding pianos, driving rhythms and electrifying performances were changing the musical landscape. A fitting choice to set the scene for an afternoon celebrating the enduring magic of music and the remarkable characters who have dedicated their lives to playing it.

The afternoon will also feature a charity raffle, with the event supporting the remarkable work of Rosemere Cancer Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support. And there's another special gesture. Every ticket buyer will receive a free collection of limited-edition CDs, including Prehistoric Animals, featuring Peter Barton alongside original Animals members John Steel and Mick Gallagher. There will also be additional limited-edition recordings featuring an extraordinary cast of musicians, including legendary Yes keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, ELO and The Move drummer Bev Bevan, and internationally acclaimed guitarist Jerry Donahue, alongside many more outstanding performers. A little piece of rock history to take home from a genuinely memorable afternoon.

But beyond the remarkable musical pedigree, this concert is about something far more important. It's about gratitude, survival and the simple joy of being able to sing again. For Peter, it is an opportunity to thank the remarkable people at Rosemere, Macmillan and Blackburn ENT who helped him through his illness, while sharing the stage once more with musicians who have been part of his life for decades. Musicians who have shared dressing rooms, tour buses, airports, motorway service stations and countless adventures across Europe. Friendships forged through the shared experience of playing music night after night, year after year.

And where better to celebrate than in the intimate surroundings of Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre, the little Lancashire venue that Peter and Julie have spent years building into one of the country's most distinctive grassroots listening rooms? With an audience of just sixty or so music lovers, there will be no enormous arena, no giant production and no distance between the musicians and the audience. Just a remarkable gathering of old friends, some very special guests, a room full of memories and some of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs ever written.

For a man who has spent his life entertaining audiences, this may well turn out to be one of the most meaningful performances of them all. Not because of the size of the crowd or the names on the bill, but because of what it represents. The chance to stand in front of an audience once again, surrounded by friends, doing the one thing he has loved since childhood.

The cancer may have silenced the voice for a while. But it never silenced the music. And on Saturday 21st November, that music will ring out once again.

A VERY SPECIAL CHARITY CONCERT SUPPORTING ROSEMERE CANCER FOUNDATION & MACMILLAN CANCER SUPPORT.