KING of Swing Asa Murphy, who made many friends in Devizes when performing with music lover Bruce Hopkins, is to return to the town in April to raise money for Prostate Cancer.

He will be performing his show Buddy Holly Lives in memory of Mr Hopkins who died in November having been diagnosed with prostate cancer four years earlier and had raised thousands of pounds for research with music concerts.

Mr Murphy is to pay the expenses of the rest of the performer's to stay in Devizes so as much money as possible from the show on April 6 at The Corn Exchange can go to charity.

The two men had met several years ago while on a cruise and became close friends.

Mr Murphy performed with Mr Hopkins one final time last summer. He said: "Bruce was a lovely man and we became huge friends.

"I have got to know lots of people in Devizes thanks to performing with Bruce and I am really looking forward to coming back to the town. I want to do this to honour Bruce in a way I know he would have loved.

"I have put the show together myself and I play Buddy Holly. It has already gone down very well in Liverpool and I hope we can sell out in Devizes. It will be the next time we perform the show.

"It is not part of our official tour but something I wanted to myself for Bruce. I am looking forward to seeing all of his family again and other people I have met previously in Devizes. A group of people came up to Liverpool to see the show and I immediately recognised the accents and realised they must be from Devizes."

Mr Hopkins, who died aged 71 from a brain tumour unrelated to prostate cancer, just months after being taken dangerously ill on a cruise and having to be flown back home.

He and his wife Jackie, 70, had been soulmates since they started going out when she was 15-years-old and would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary a month after he died.

Mr Hopkins went to Devizes Grammar School where he played in most of the school's sports teams and became passionate about singing and music. He and Jackie met when he was performing at a youth club.

A joint love of music brought Mr Murphy and Mr Hopkins together and led to a number of fundraising concerts during which Mr Hopkins' grand daughter Athena joined them to sing on stage.

Tickets are available for £20 each from Devizes Books.Research UK.