BRADFORD rockers Smokie are heading out on their Legacy Tour, looking back over the band's five-decade career.

Smokie was founded more than 50 years ago when Terry Uttley, Alan Silson and Chris Norman were at St Bede's School in Heaton. They played local clubs under various names, including The Elizabethans, and got their break signing with Mickey Most's RAK label as Smokey (later Smokie). In the 1970s they had Top 10 hits such as If You Think You Know How To Love Me and Oh Carol.

Smokie split in 1981 but reformed in 1986 for a fundraising concert for relatives of people who died in the Bradford City fire. Alan Barton, who replaced singer Chris Norman, died in 1995 when Smokie's tour bus crashed in Germany. The band later continued with Mike Craft as frontman and were back in the charts with Roy 'Chubby' Brown's version of their hit Living Next Door To Alice.

Smokie toured extensively over the years, selling over 30 million records worldwide. A huge live act in Europe and the Far East, they were made honorary citizens of Seoul after becoming the first Western band to sell a million singles there. They toured countries such as Mongolia, Uruguay and China.

For many years Smokie hosted a gala dinner dance at Craiglands Hotel in Ilkley, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for the Annette Fox Leukaemia Fund.

When Terry Uttley died in 2021 fans from around the world posted tributes on social media.

Smokie continue to tour extensively. On Thursday, March 7 they will be at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax with their Legacy Tour, performing their hits. Smokie's line-up is: lead vocalist Pete Lincoln, Steve Pinnell on drums, Mick McConnell on lead guitar and rhythm guitar, Martin Bullard on keyboards and Luke Bullard on bass guitar.

For tickets go to victoriatheatre.co.uk or call (01422) 351158.