SOUL singer and M People frontwoman Heather Small is due to perform at The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness, on February 5.

After selling several million records, winning two Brit Awards and the Mercury Music Prize, performing across the globe and recording a track that has become an unofficial national anthem, Heather Small is one of the most successful female recording artists of recent years.

As part of M People, with hits such as 'Moving On Up', 'One Night In Heaven' and 'Search For The Hero' and albums like Elegant Slumming, Bizarre Fruit and Fresco achieving massive worldwide success, Heather became one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s, with the band winning the Best British Dance Act Award at the Brits in 1994 and 1995, as well as the Mercury Music Prize for Elegant Slumming.

Heather has since had successes with two solo albums – the title track of her ‘Proud’ album has gone on to become the soundtrack to a whole host of very special events including London’s successful 2012 Olympic bid, the 60th anniversary of VE Day in Trafalgar Square, the launch of Queen Mary 2, the Tsunami Relief Concert, England's victory at the Rugby World Cup celebrations, and the official ceremony marking the handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London.

And when Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she'd been striving to achieve over her twenty-year career, she got in touch with Heather, who somehow managed to squeeze in a trip across the Atlantic to perform on the show right in the middle of her last UK tour with M People ('If Oprah calls, you go!' she laughs, adding that the first lady of chat was 'very sweet to me').

After completing two l UK tours in 2009, Heather teamed up with singing sensations Anastacia and Luluin 2010 for the critically acclaimed ‘Here Come The Girls’ – an unforgettable night of feel-good party music and dance, touring arenas across the UK and Ireland.

Heather continues to perform to audiences around the globe - highlights in 2013 included headlining the world-famous Sydney Mardi Gras and re-uniting with M People for a very special 20th Anniversary Tour.