# Elkie Brooks
**Elkie Brooks** (born Elaine Bookbinder, 1945) is an English singer from Broughton, Salford, whose career has run from 1960s cabaret through the blues-rock band Vinegar Joe to a solo career that made her, at the time, the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts.[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) • [2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) Known as the "British Queen of the Blues", she is best remembered for the singles "Pearl's A Singer", "Lilac Wine", "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" and "No More The Fool", and for the 1981 album *Pearls*, which sold over a million copies.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) • [3](https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/finding-my-voice)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Elaine Bookbinder, 1945, Broughton, Salford, England[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) |
| Professional debut | Age 15, in 1960, after winning a talent contest at the Palace Theatre, Manchester[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) |
| First hit | "Pearl's a Singer" (1977), which reached No. 8 in the UK; her first song was "Something's Got A Hold On Me" (1964), a cover of Etta James, with Jimmy Page on guitar[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) |
| Band years | Dada, which became Vinegar Joe in 1971, co-fronted with Robert Palmer; three albums, 1971–1973[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) • [4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vinegar-joe-mn0000181527) |
| Signature album | *Pearls* (1981): No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, 79 weeks on the chart, over a million sold[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) • [1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) |
| Highest-charting single | "No More The Fool" (1986), UK No. 5[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) |
| BPI certifications | Silver, gold and platinum awards for *Two Days Away*, *Shooting Star*, *Pearls* and *Pearls II*[5](https://www.onamrecords.com/artists/elkie-brooks/award-discs) |
| Autobiography | *Finding My Voice* (Biteback Publishing, 2012)[3](https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/finding-my-voice) |
## Early career
Brooks was born Elaine Bookbinder into a Jewish baking family in Salford and grew up in Prestwich.[6](https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/elkie-brooks/) She sang at weddings and bar mitzvahs as a child, and at 15 won a talent contest at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, judged by the promoter [Don Arden](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-arden), which put her on a national pop package tour.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) • [7](https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/elkie-brooks/?affiliate=N2V) She signed to [Decca Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/decca-records), released her first record in 1964, and made her name on the London cabaret circuit, touring with [The Beatles](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-beatles) and the Small Faces.[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) Her first record, in 1964, was a version of Etta James' "Something's Got A Hold On Me", on which a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page played guitar; she also toured with the Animals.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about)
By the end of the 1960s she was singing jazz with Humphrey Lyttelton's band.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about)
## Vinegar Joe
In 1970 Brooks joined the blues-rock band Dada, which found success after changing its name to Vinegar Joe and adding the vocalist [Robert Palmer](https://www.edgepedia.org/robert-palmer).[8](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/elkie-brooks-mn0000797077/biography) Formed in 1971 at the suggestion of [Island Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/island-records) founder [Chris Blackwell](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-blackwell), the band cut three albums between 1971 and 1973, *Rock 'n' Roll Gypsies*, *Vinegar Joe* and *Six Star General*, and drew large audiences in England with live shows that reviewers consistently rated above their record sales.[4](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vinegar-joe-mn0000181527) • [9](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/vinegar-joe-six-star-general) "We did very well on tour, but we just weren't pushed enough in the studio," Brooks told *Classic Rock* in 2015.[9](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/vinegar-joe-six-star-general)
The band broke up in 1974, having been created, in retrospect, as a vehicle for Palmer's solo career; Brooks then briefly joined the American southern boogie band Wet Willie before returning to a solo career.[10](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-vinyl-issue-vinegar-joe) • [2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about)
## Solo success
Brooks launched her solo career in 1975 with the album *Rich Man's Woman* on [A&M Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-and-m-records), which was banned in some quarters because of its raunchy sleeve.[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) • [2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) Her 1977 album *Two Days Away* featured her signature song "Pearl's A Singer", co-written and produced by [Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-leiber-and-mike-stoller), the songwriters behind many of [Elvis Presley](https://www.edgepedia.org/elvis-presley)'s hits; it reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1977.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) • [1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) Further hits followed: "Sunshine After The Rain" (No. 10, 1977), "Lilac Wine" (No. 16, 1978), "Don't Cry Out Loud" (No. 12, 1978) and "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" (No. 17, 1982).[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/)
**The Pearls era.** Her 1981 album *Pearls* spent 79 continuous weeks on the charts and sold over a million copies, making Brooks the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts at that time.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) It peaked at No. 2 on the Official Albums Chart, and *Pearls II* followed in 1982.[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) • [5](https://www.onamrecords.com/artists/elkie-brooks/award-discs) In 1986 she eclipsed "Pearl's A Singer" with "No More The Fool", her biggest hit single, which reached No. 5 and spent 16 weeks on the chart.[11](https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/elkie-brooks/?affiliate=JAR) • [1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/)
Across her career the [Official Charts Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/official-charts-company) credits Brooks with 3 top-10 singles and 4 top-10 albums in the UK, with 215 weeks in the albums top 75.[1](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/) The British Phonographic Industry certified *Two Days Away* (gold and silver, March 1978), *Shooting Star* (silver, May 1978), *Pearls* (gold, platinum and silver, June 1981) and *Pearls II* (gold, platinum and silver, November 1982).[5](https://www.onamrecords.com/artists/elkie-brooks/award-discs) By 2012 she had more chart albums than any other British female artist, according to her official biography.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about)
## Later career
Brooks has released some 20 albums over the 25 years after *Pearls*, including *Minutes* (1984), *Pearls III* (1991), *Inspiration* (1993) and *Powerless*, an album of love songs and power ballads whose title track was written by Don Black.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) • [7](https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/elkie-brooks/?affiliate=N2V) She published her autobiography, *Finding My Voice*, with Biteback Publishing in July 2012.[3](https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/finding-my-voice)
She has continued to tour annually, performing in most major UK theaters with sell-out runs at the [London Palladium](https://www.edgepedia.org/london-palladium), the [Royal Albert Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/royal-albert-hall), Wembley Arena and Ronnie Scott's, and shared the bill with the Beach Boys and Santana at Knebworth in 1980.[2](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about) In 2024 she began "The Long Farewell" tour, named as a farewell after more than 60 years in the business, with dates scheduled into 2027.[12](https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/birmingham/interviews/elkie-brooks-the-queen-of-blues/15940) • [13](https://www.shazam.com/en-us/artist/elkie-brooks/14933100/events)
## Voice and style
Brooks' repertoire spans pop, rock, blues and jazz, and her deep, husky voice earned her the nickname "British Queen of the Blues"; *Melody Maker* described her as not just a gifted singer but a musical superstar.[6](https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/elkie-brooks/) She attributes her vocal longevity to daily training, physical fitness, including a black belt in Aikido, and rest between shows.[12](https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/birmingham/interviews/elkie-brooks-the-queen-of-blues/15940) • [14](https://www.smallcitybigpersonality.co.uk/elkie-brooks.amp) "My attitude is that if you have a good singing voice you should be able to sing anything," she told *Ipswich24* in 2012.[15](https://www.ipswich24.co.uk/2012/04/12/interview-elkie-brooks/)
## References
1. [Elkie Brooks, full Official Chart history, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/16158/elkie-brooks/)
2. [About Elkie Brooks, British Queen of the Blues, elkiebrooks.com](https://www.elkiebrooks.com/about)
3. [Finding My Voice, Biteback Publishing](https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/finding-my-voice)
4. [Vinegar Joe biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vinegar-joe-mn0000181527)
5. [Elkie Brooks Music Awards, On A&M Records](https://www.onamrecords.com/artists/elkie-brooks/award-discs)
6. [Exclusive interview with Elkie Brooks, Northern Life Magazine](https://northernlifemagazine.co.uk/elkie-brooks/)
7. [Elkie Brooks tickets and tour dates, Eventim UK](https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/elkie-brooks/?affiliate=N2V)
8. [Elkie Brooks biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/elkie-brooks-mn0000797077/biography)
9. [Vinegar Joe's Six Star General album review, Louder/Classic Rock](https://www.loudersound.com/music/albums/vinegar-joe-six-star-general)
10. [The story of Vinegar Joe, Louder](https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-vinyl-issue-vinegar-joe)
11. [Elkie Brooks tickets, Eventim UK (JAR listing)](https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/elkie-brooks/?affiliate=JAR)
12. [Elkie Brooks: The Queen of Blues, What's On](https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/birmingham/interviews/elkie-brooks-the-queen-of-blues/15940)
13. [Elkie Brooks tour details, Shazam](https://www.shazam.com/en-us/artist/elkie-brooks/14933100/events)
14. [An Interview with Elkie Brooks, Small City Big Personality](https://www.smallcitybigpersonality.co.uk/elkie-brooks.amp)
15. [Interview: Elkie Brooks, Ipswich24 Magazine](https://www.ipswich24.co.uk/2012/04/12/interview-elkie-brooks/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › Adult contemporary, 1970s and 1980s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license