by Alan Watkins

It seems impossible that the guy with the cheeky smile, the guitar and the ukelele will be 70 in a few weeks time.

For more than half a century Joe Brown has been a cornerstone of rock.

He was one of the kings of skiffle. Those were the days in the 1950s when all you needed was a washboard, broomstick, string and a tea chest to create your rhythm section.

Add a few voices, a guitar (and some lessons from Bert Weedon's Play in a Day book) and you could make it to the big time.

Few actually achieved it - but Joe did.

He was one of the stars who regularly appeared on Six Five Special and Oh Boy.

Though he seldom appears on television now, he still packs the crowds into the theatres with some old numbers and plenty of new ones.

"I'm quite happy doing what I do," Joe said in an exclusive interview with Going Out.

"In fact, I love doing all I do.

"We play good music, we all enjoy it and the fans are very loyal."

Not that it is easy.

"It's a nightmare putting one of these tours together," he said.

"Sometimes we have 10 new songs, though on this tour there are only six, or is it seven, new ones?"

It's difficult for anyone with an established name to get a regular slot on TV these days. After the talent shows, and the demise of Top of the Pops, there's little chance.

Joe appeared on a number of different TV programmes, but his love remained performing.

"I was glad to get out of the ....." (he paused searching for a police word) "...the awful nightclubs where you were third on the bill to the pints and the birds.

"We starting doing the theatre, and I now do two tours a year of about 100 shows a year.

"It's really nice to pack them out like I do."

He has many friends in the music business including the local star, Jools Holland.

One of his closest friends was ex-Beatle, George Harrison.

Joe was asked to close the concert tribute show for him.

His performance of "I'll see you in my dreams" brought down the house.

"It was the highlight of my career for me," said Joe.

Joe Brown plays at Chatham's Central Theatre on Thursday, April 7.