Beverley Knight met her "idol" Stevie Wonder for the first time this year.
The ‘Shoulda Woulda Coulda’ hitmaker is set to embark on a 10 date ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’ tour, where she will sing some of Stevie’s biggest hits, but a source has revealed she only met him for the first time earlier this year when he headlined BST Hyde Park in July.
A source close to Beverley exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "It’s no secret Bev is a huge fan of Stevie, she calls him her idol and is absolutely obsessed with his music. So when she found out he’d be playing in the UK this year she knew she had to meet him.
"Thankfully Stevie knows who she is too – so when it was put to him that she wanted go backstage to meet him he was more than happy to oblige. They actually got on really well and were talking for ages."
The 46-year-old singer officially announced her ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’ live tour at a private event in London on August 14.
And speaking ahead of the run – where she’ll be accompanied by a live orchestra – she admitted she is honoured to get the chance to play the music of one of the "very few true geniuses" who are still alive today.
She said: "I can’t believe I’m getting the opportunity to perform the music of one of the very few true geniuses who is still with is. It’s wonderful for me to be able to play his music- particularly while he’s still alive to hear it!"
Beverley’s tour kicks off in Brighton on October 1, then goes to Southend, Sheffield, Oxford, London, Gateshead, Manchester, Bath, and Bournemouth before finishing of at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on October 14.