The Jacksons, Sister Sledge and Miss Disco bring 70s sounds to Audley End
Disco fever is coming to Audley End this summer when The Jacksons headline.
The American pop brothers – originally The Jackson 5 who formed in Gary, Indiana, 60 years ago – will kick off the Heritage Live outdoor concert series at the stately home near Saffron Walden on Thursday July 31.
The Who frontman Roger Daltrey has already been announced as the headliner for the Friday August 1 gig, supported by Ocean Colour Scene and Cast.
The Jacksons will be supported by special guests Sister Sledge, featuring founding member Debbie Sledge, and seven-piece band Miss Disco.
Founding The Jacksons members Jackie and Marlon – who will be 73 and 68 respectively come next summer – will be joined for the show by lead performers from London’s West End Michael Jackson musical, Thriller, as backing singers and dancers.
As The Jackson 5, brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael found international success in 1969, with their first single I Want You Back reaching No 1 on the US charts.
They made music history when their next three releases – ABC, The Love You Save and I'll Be There – also hit the top spot. They ultimately scored 17 top 40 singles in the USA.
After leaving the Motown label and changing their name to The Jacksons in 1976, they released five hit albums between 1976 and 1981, including the smash hit disco singles Enjoy Yourself, Blame It on the Boogie, Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) and Can You Feel It.
Michael, who went on to become a solo global superstar, died in 2009. Tito passed away last year. The showbusiness dynasty also includes sisters LaToya and Janet.
Sister Sledge are known for their disco anthems We Are Family, Lost In Music and Thinking of You.
Since their first hit in 1971, the Grammy-nominated group has amassed a string of gold and platinum records, accumulating total sales of more than 15 million worldwide.
Their albums, including those produced by the legendary Nile Rodgers, received global recognition.
The current line-up of the group features founding member Debbie Sledge, two of her children, Camille and David, Thaddeus Sledge, the son of founding member Joni who died in 2017, and vocalist Tanya Ti-et.
Saffron Walden’s very own Miss Disco have forged a reputation as a classic disco revue band.
After making their Heritage Live debut in 2023, they return following the success of their debut single, One Step (After Another), which became a UK soul chart top 30 hit at the end of 2024 thanks to airplay support from the likes of BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music. They also featured on the cover of Blues & Soul magazine.
Tickets for the show will be available on presale on Thursday February 20 at 9am. Customers must pre-register at https://arep.co/p/jacksons-audleyend for presale access. Tickets will then go on general sale on Friday February 21 at 9am from axs.com/heritagelive.
Heritage Live is yet to announce the headliners and acts for the Saturday and Sunday concerts in the series.
