He has accompanied Eartha Kitt and Marti Caine on the piano, been asked to play with Russia's Spandau Ballet and even stayed at Robert Mitchum's New York apartment.

But organist Mike Oliver has now given up glitzy and glamorous musical lifestyle and settled in East Bierley, Bradford, where he lives with wife Julie.

Born in Oxfordshire, Mike lived with his father in a pub and began taking piano lessons at the age of eight. His father, who ran the pub, would often drag a sleepy nine-year-old Mike from his bed to entertain the customers late at night.

"If the police turned up I had to run off up to bed very quickly," he joked.

Mike, fed up with his job as a compositor in the printing industry, came out of work one day, went into the Army recruitment office and inquired about becoming an Army musician. He began his career in the Household Cavalry before joining the King's Royal Rifle Corps in Germany. He was sent on a diploma training course but was discharged for medical reasons and returned to Oxford at the age of 23.

"I did a short spell in the Oxford Theatre," said Mike, who lives in Bradford Road. "Eartha Kitt wanted a piano player after hers fell ill and I accompanied her - I worked on and off with her for about 18 months."

His career really took off after passing an audition for a musician on a cruise ship.

"I got a spot on The Mauritania where I was accompaniment for the cabaret," said Mike. "Our principal run was to New York and Robert Mitchum was on the ship once. He used to sit in the first class lounge with a bottle of bourbon and I'd play for him.

"When he disembarked in New York he invited three musicians to his apartment in New York and I stayed in his Penthouse."

He met wife Julie on a Russian ship. "As we were pulling into Casablanca I invited her to spend a day with me and we kept in contact. She didn't believe I would come off the ship for her."

He cites some of the highlights of his career as playing at the Hammersmith Palais, Strand Lyceum, Wimbledon Palais and the Streatham Locarno. He has also played on the Queen Mary, The QE2, the Mauritania, the Canberra and the Oriana and accompanied such stars as Duane Eddy, Del Shannon, The Rockin' Berries, Marti Caine and Paul Daniels.

After a holiday in Benidorm in 1980, Mike was offered a job in the Sandra Bar, where he remained for seven years before moving on to two other bars for a total of 20 years. "I had to develop as a comedian as I was the only artist on the stage and had to fill four and a half hours with different material each night."

Mike recently returned to England because he couldn't take the long hours any more.

"The last 20 years have been very rewarding," said Mike. "I've established my reputation and made many friendships."

Mike settled in Bradford because he and Julie felt it was a central base near many major motorways.

"We like Bradford because everyone is so friendly," he said.