by Peter Barnett

Mandy Winters is celebrating a life in showbusiness in a special one-off performance at Margate Winter Gardens tonight, Friday, September 18.

Her love of performing comes from her family roots although her first steps on the boards were performing with her mum and dad at the Queens Hotel in Cliftonville. She learnt so much from her mum, highly respected soprano Nola Collins, and her dad, famed throughout the UK and beyond as Ronnie Winters the yodelling cowboy.

Showbiz was her life from a small child and she recalls happy hours in and around the Lido theatre at Cliftonville. She said: "It was buzzing, electric, a real mecca for visitors who swarmed to Thanet in those long summer days.

"Mum would be singing, dad would be in the Golden Garter saloon show, and there were so many great characters around.

"Life was so much fun. I remember when a Canadian sheriff called Danny Arnold who was in the Lido show with dad turned up one day on his horse to take me home from school at Holy Trinity in Margate.

"It raised eyebrows and it is a little surreal looking back, but all the people around me were larger than life and it all seemed so normal."

At 12 she was singing with a big band, conducted by her grandad, Al Collins, who was no mean drummer either.

At 15 she joined the country band American Brew and was soon touring and gaining vast experience at a range of venues around the country. She also met music legend Dolly Parton at Wembley during this time and in recent years has won acclaim for her tribute show to the queen of country.

She said: "I have loved her music since I was a child. It is inspirational and I adore invoking, not copying, her. "

She developed as a solo artiste, singing country music at hotels and theatres in the UK including summer seasons at Great Yarmouth, appearances around Europe and two sell-out tours of the Czech Republic.

She also represented the UK at a country music festival in Nebraska in America, where she won entertainer of the year and female vocalist of the year accolades.

As well as touring with the Dolly Parton special, Mandy has also staged Divas of Country, paying homage to Dolly, Tammy Wynette, Buffy St Marie, Patsy Cline and others.

Her thoughts are fully focussed on her one-woman show at the Winter Gardens where she will take centre stage to put the talents that have made her live and recorded music so popular under the spotlight - and don't bet against her showing the yodelling talent she learnt from her dad.

Tickets are £12 in advance; telephone 01843 296111.