Music swirled around the young Marion Montgomery as she grew up in America's deep south.

The celebrated singer's childhood memories of growing up in Mississippi are the major influence for her show, My Southern Heart, to be be performed in Radlett this weekend.

Marion's show, directed by her husband Laurie Holloway, combines talk with jazz, blues and country music, to portray life in the American south.

A mixture of musical influences shaped Marion's desire to become a singer, including the Afro-American culture of people "always singing", the church and the sound of the piano being played at her home.

The singer, who now lives in England, recalled: "There was a very gentle whirlwind of music that just wound around me.

"The black influence was very important in my life," she added.

"The whole south is permeated with the influence of the African-American nature, which I think has enriched all of America."

Marion, who was born in Natchez and whose father was in the hotel business, also remembered: "The south was vastly different when I was a youngster everything was coming out of the Depression, and was very parochial.

"Now it is extremely sophisticated, with theatre and ballet, and is economically sound."

Marion's career was launched with the help of the late Peggy Lee, who advised Capitol Records to give her a contract. In 1965, the singer, who performs regularly at Ronnie Scott's and other venues, came to England, met and married Laurie and had a daughter.

My Southern Heart will be at The Radlett Centre, in Aldenham Avenue, at 8pm on Saturday, and for tickets call 01923 859291.