On the 26th of March this year a dream came true for Hugh Laurie. It was a dream born from a moment in his youth when he first heard Professor Longhair's album Live On The Queen Mary. Recorded in 1975, it was to change Longhair's life, catapulting him back into the limelight once again after years in the blues wilderness. And as Hugh says "Ever since I heard a recording of that show - my life changed too." For it was at that moment that Laurie's musical journey began. "The hairs went up on the back of my neck and I knew this music was for me. Not one day has passed since then when I have not either listened to Professor Longhair's music, or to someone else singing his songs or tried to play them myself." "For me the second coming took place on the Queen Mary in 1975. My view of life, in fact my life, was shaped by the sounds and stories of Professor Longhair." And now Hugh Laurie will mark the climax of his personal musical odyssey with a tribute to the man who is his greatest inspiration. He is joined by the legendary Copper Bottom Band in the exact same room, on the exact same stage where Longhair delivered his master class to put on a unique, once in a life time, unforgettable performance. Surrounded by the art deco grandeur of this extraordinary ship and featuring classic Longhair favourites "Tipitina" and "Mardi Gras In New Orleans," and Hugh's own renditions of blues classics such as "Staggerlee," "Junco Partner," "Kiss Of Fire" and "Wild Honey," this a show like no other.
