ONE of New Zealand's best loved singers, who has made Warrington her home, is to play a blues night as part of Lymm Festival's Winter Warmers season.

Makuini, who lives with her husband David in Fearnhead, will be performing at Lymm Golf Club tomorrow, Friday.

She will be joined by The HooDoo Men whose line-up includes 10cc drummer Paul Burgess, George Glover and Derek Holt from Climax Blues Band and renowned Warrington guitarist, Pete 'Sarge' Frampton

Makuini was the eldest of 14 children living in the rural village of Jerusalem, New Zealand.

But she was just five when she moved to Auckland to live with her grandmother ‘Nana Emma’, a variety artist, who became her inspiration.

Makuini then went to the UK to experience the club circuit, wanting to be like her heroes Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.

This led to her big break when she was cast opposite Yul Brynner in The King & I at the London Palladium. She even performed for the Queen at the Royal Variety Show at The Theatre Royal.

After the Lymm concert, Makuini will be performing at the Cinnamon Club in Bowden on December 4.

The show will pay tribute to one of her heroes Etta James, whose Grammy award-winning album, Mystery Lady, marks its 20th anniversary this year.

Makuini has played the same show at the legendary 100 Club in Oxford Street in London, where the Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds with Eric Clapton played in the 1960s.

Tickets for the Lymm Golf Club show are £11. Visit lymmfestival.org.uk