Husband puts heart and soul into launching charity album

A musician is organising a Northern Soul night to raise funds for charities which have supported his terminally ill wife.

Steve Foley has come out of retirement to write, record a produce an album of original soul influence songs to raise funds for Cancer Research UK, British Kidney Patients Association and Help Musicians.

The album SoulFest will be launched and given away free to attendees at SoulFest North West - a one-day soul festival taking place on Sunday September 25 in the basement of O2 Ritz Manchester.

Steve released the album to raise funds for charities which support his terminally ill wife Amy, who has kidney and pancreas failures.

Due to heart problems, the 61-year-old had a pacemaker fitted, which meant that her chances of a kidney and pancreas transplant ended, because of the trauma risk to her heart. She currently receives treatment at Hope Hospital satellite dialysis unit in Rochdale.

SoulFest North West All-Dayer features nine live acts plus four Northern Soul and Motown DJs.

Most of the acts contributed to the SoulFest album by FOLEY and Friends.

Acts include extraordinary Soul vocalist Johnny ‘Boy’ Pryers, local legend Dougie James from Soul Train and Groovemental - a nine-piece soul/disco band. Soulvation is a five-piece band featuring soul songstress Dr Angela McFoy, who is a respiratory doctor at Wigan Infirmary.

Manchester’s answer to Nile Rogers, guitarist Alan Clare duets with Linda Jennings as Clare and Jennings.

The world’s leading Lionel Ritchie tribute Hamilton Browne aims to have everyone Dancing on the Ceiling. Unsigned Artist Winner 2014, Babalola JR is a rising international soul star, tutored by Middleton Pop Stars Academy.

Take That vocal coach, Sheila Gott, will belt out a set of Motown hits. Miss H, a newly discovered soul singer and DJ, will also perform.

The line-up of Motown and Northern Soul DJ’s includes Mike Prince, David Jones, Carl Spiers and Johnny Boy Pryers.

The album is currently being finalised at Gracieland Studio, Rochdale (owned by Lisa Stansfield) and sees Steve reunited with Steve Boyce-Buckley who got his start as a sound engineer at Steve Foley’s Smile Studio in the 1970s and 1980s.

The album features 14 new songs plus four remastered tracks Foley produced in the 1970s including two never-released tracks by the late Paul Young of Sad Cafe/Mike and the Mechanics fame.

SoulFest North West is the first of a series of fund-raising events which also include SoulFest Show on October 1 at Heywood Civic Centre and SoulFest North West Christmas Bash on December 18 at O2 Ritz Manchester.

Tickets are available from O2 Ritz Box Office, Ticketweb, Ticketline, Ticketmaster and See Tickets at £11 plus booking fee.

All attendees will receive a free copy of the CD as they leave the gig, which starts at 2pm.

The recording has been made possible by sponsors Jenny Jones Jewellery, Mint Duplication and Gracieland Studio.