Wednesday 29 June 2016

GREGORY PORTER CONFIRMED FOR BBC RADIO 2’S ‘A FESTIVAL IN A DAY' IN HYDE PARK ON SUNDAY 11 SEPTEMBER - TICKETS ON SALE NOW!



Hype Park performance follows Gregory Porter's stunning Glastonbury Pyramid Stage appearance, which included surprise side of stage marriage proposal

This generation’s most successful jazz and soul singer-songwriter, the man in the hat, Gregory Porter, who recently made chart history with his newly-released album 'Take Me To The Alley' becoming the first jazz record to break into the Top 5 for over ten years, announces a second chance for UK fans to see him live this summer. The BBC’s ‘A Festival In A Day' will take over London’s glorious Hyde Park with Gregory performing to a crowd of thousands and joining a line-up that includes Elton John and Leann Rimes with more acts to be announced shortly.

Gregory took to the world famous Pyramid stage this weekend at Glastonbury Festival following a triumphant performance on the West Holts stage last year. The set went down a storm, with Gregory performing hits from his current album 'Take Me To The Alley'. The set included a wonderful moment when Gregory let friend Tom Bowles, “borrow” his song Real Good Hands for a surprise marriage proposal, with Tom proposing to Gregory’s production assistant Zoe Taylor whilst Gregory performed the track. The packed crowd watched as Tom got down on one knee asking Zoe, “Will you marry me”, before he produced a ring.

Talking to the Press Association, Gregory stated: “I wrote the song for myself when I was in that place that Tom was in. And so when he came to me and said, ‘Gregory, it’s time to do this thing,’ I was like: ‘Okay! Well we know what we need to do. I’ll let you borrow my songs and my lyrics and say what it is that you want to say’… It’s a lot of fun, and it comes out of my personal experience. We’re all the same – the story of you is the story of me…. I knew Zoe before she met Tom, so it’s just been great to see her go into the relationship and now go further.”*

The critically-acclaimed 'Take Me To The Alley', was met by 4 and 5 star album reviews across the board in the national press, and becomes Porter's highest chart position yet. It is the first time a jazz album has been in the Top 5 of the UK charts since Jamie Cullum’s 'Catching Tales' in 2005. His latest track ‘Consequence of Love’ has just been added straight on to the B-List at Radio 2 and looks set to grace the airwaves throughout the summer as the parent album spends yet another week inside the Official UK Top 40.

This level of public affection has seen Porter become an adopted national treasure in this country, having performed for the Queen multiple times, and graced the stages of the UK's best venues and summer festivals. The singer recently featured as the only musical performance on BBC1's 'Attenborough at 90' and joined the country's best performers on BBC2's 'Shakespeare Live!'. He also led a chorus of music stars, including Mumford and Sons, in a moving version of Prince's 'Purple Rain' on BBC2's 'Later with Jools'.‎

Earlier this year, Porter completed an extensive sold-out UK Headline Tour, opening and closing at prestigious London venues The Royal Albert Hall and Hammersmith Apollo. Now fans have another opportunity to see Gregory in Hyde Park later this summer at BBC Radio 2’s Festival In A Day, with tickets on sale now.

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