TALENTED veteran musicians are banding together to raise money for Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s Shooting Stars unit.

The quality quintet – collectively known as Barry Webb and the Midnighters – are Barry Davies on vocals, Ray Jones on drums, Peter Parker on bass, Derek Gee on rhythm guitar and Bill Bishop on lead guitar.

Barry, 65, of Box Lane, said he, Pete and Bill had received chemotherapy in recent years and their fundraising gig on October 14 at Gresford Colliery Sports and Social Club was a way of saying a big thank you to Shooting Stars.

“Ray and I know each other from way back, we used to play together in a band in the 1960s. The idea for the concert came after Ray came to visit me when he heard I was ill. We hadn’t seen each other for about 10 years.

“We got chatting and decided it would be great to hold a concert for Shooting Stars, so set about recruiting other musicians.

“We are all of the same generation. This will be the first time we have played together as a band and are all from the Wrexham area.”

Barry said that when he and Ray were performing in the 60s they covered a lot of material from Cliff Richard and The Shadows. Those songs would be in the band’s set-list for the forthcoming gig. By coincidence October 14 is also Cliff Richard’s birthday.

“It’s not something that we planned, it’s just happened like that. Cliff will be 71,” said Barry, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in March 2010.

“I had an operation and then chemotherapy which finished in February this year.

The care and treatment I received was second to none. I can’t thank everyone enough.

“We are really looking forward to the concert. Rehearsals have been going on for about seven weeks and it is all coming together really well.”

- Barry Webb was Barry’s stage name in the 1970s and is a tribute to Cliff Richard, whose real name is Harry Webb.