HEATHER Small heads to Wirral as part of her solo tour next year.

The former lead singer of 90s band M People is at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton on February 19.

One of the most successful female artists in recent years, she has sold several million records, won two Brit Awards and a Mercury Music Prize, performed across the globe and recorded a track that has become an unofficial national anthem.

Looking forward to the Floral Pavilion show, London-born Heather told the Globe: "I just want people to come and celebrate what I do.

"The fact that people still want to see me live is a huge honour. So come along, forget your worries and enjoy the show."

As part of M People, hits such as Moving On Up, One Night In Heaven and Search For The Hero, earned Heather praise as one of the seminal British voices of the 1990s.

The band was crowned Best British Dance Act Award at the Brits in 1994 and 1995 and a Mercury Music Prize for 'Elegant Slumming'.

The 50-year-old has gone on to greater successes in her solo career.

The title track of her Proud album went on to become the soundtrack to a whole host of events including London's successful 2012 Olympic bid and the official ceremony marking the handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London.

And when American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey was looking for a song to sum up the work she had been striving to achieve over her twenty-year career, she got in touch with Heather, who squeezed in a trip across the Atlantic to perform on the show right in the middle of her last UK tour with M People.

Recalling the moment, Heather said: "If Oprah calls, you go. She was very sweet to me."

In 2008, Heather became a contestant on series six of the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing. She stayed in the competition for eight weeks.

Looking back at the show, she laughed: "It was a fun time for me. Suddenly I was the golden girl.

"Neighbours that had never spoken to me before suddenly started talking to me. It was so funny."

After completing two successful UK tours in 2009, Heather teamed up with singing sensations Anastacia and Luluin 2010 for the critically-acclaimed Here Come The Girls.

Heather continues to perform to audiences around the globe.

Highlights included headlining the world-famous Sydney Mardi Gras and re-uniting with M People for a very special 20th Anniversary Tour.

Well known for her charitable work, Heather is an ambassador for the children’s charity Barnardos and is continually involved with fundraising and helping lend her valuable support to projects around the country.

And she has no plans to give up singing: "If you got the feeling I do when I sing, you’d understand.

"There are plans for a new album, which I can't wait to get started on.

"I'm sounding and singing a lot better than I have ever sounded."

Tickets for her show at the Floral Pavilion are from the box office on 666 0000.