The 61-year-old stands with Coventrybased oldies The Nostalgics in tonight's edition of the show as they prepare for their audition.

Linda Silva, 77, organiser of The Nostalgics, said: "We couldn't go away to Boot Camp for four days at our age.

The Nostalgics then got through with three yeses from judges Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne.

The Nostalgics got through with three approvals from judges Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne.

It became so popular that he set up his own special band, The Nostalgics, and from the 1980s he staged his legendary tea dances.

"I started singing with The Nostalgics in 1985 and loved every minute of it.

The Nostalgics arranged a show at the Salvation Army, in Upper Well Street, city centre, where he used to stage weekly sing-alongs.

Members of Coventry's Nostalgics concert party hand over a cheque for pounds 1,000 to representatives from the city's Myton Hospice.

"The wife of Nostalgics founder John Spencer died of cancer so we thought it would be a good thing to donate money to."

FUNDS PRIDE...John Spencer (right) and other members of the Nostalgics dance band with the hospice cheque.

John Spencer, who was the driving force behind the fund-raising, said: "The money was raised by the Nostalgic Concert Party and the Nostalgic Dance Band at the Dad's Army Show at the Belgrade Theatre and also by the loyal support of our members and friends.

The Nostalgics Concert Party is arranging a show called Dad's Army, at the Belgrade Theatre on Saturday, November 16, starting at 11am.

John Spencer and his Nostalgics Concert Party Association are staging the musical Sunrise Serenade.

The city's Nostalgics Band tops the bill in Memories Are Made of This at the Belgrade Theatre on Saturday and the afternoon show features golden oldies like Black Hills Of Dakota and Deep In The Heart Of Texas.

The gala starts at 11am, with music from the heyday of the Hippodrome played by John Spencer's New Nostalgics.