LEADING soul singer Beverley Knight will celebrate the music, sounds and legacy of Memphis on her forthcoming album and tour.

She will take the songs of Soulsville to York Barbican on June 3.

The album, along with single Middle Of Love, will be released on record label East West on June 10.

The album was recorded in a week-long session in February this year with Al Green producer Willie Mitchell’s at his legendary Royal Studios in Memphis.

Soulsville sees Beverley return to the city she fell in love with during preparations for her 2015 Oliver Award-nominated role in the hit West End show Memphis The Musical, to record her eighth studio album.

The album is named after the Memphis neighbourhood that housed the iconic Stax Records and where Royal Studios still stands.

The album features both original songs and a handful of Memphis classics, exploring the sounds and reflecting the soulful vibes of a city that gave us the likes of Al Green, Booker T, Howlin Wolf and Aretha Franklin.

Songs include include a stunning version of William Bell and Judy Clay’s Private Number, a take on Big Momma Thornton’s Hound Dog (later a monster hit for Elvis Presley ), and a duet with original Memphis soul man Sam Moore of Sam and Dave.