SOMETIMES known as the Billy Elliot of opera or the People's Tenor, Russell Watson rose from a working class background to, almost accidentally, become one of the world's leading vocal artists.

His first two albums The Voice and Encore sold over three million copies and saw him top the US and UK album charts at the same time, the first British male to achieve such an accolade.

But Russell, 48, who was born in Salford, Manchester, had no early ambitions to perform. He spent eight years working in a factory after leaving school, but started singing in pubs and clubs to top up his salary to support his then growing family.

It was a fateful performance of Nessun Dorma he was asked to sing one night at a club that led to an appearance at Manchester United's Old Trafford ground and eventually his first album.

The rest is history, but it has not been an easy road for the singer who is said to 'sing like Pavarotti and entertain the audience like Sinatra'.

In recent years Russell, who is divorced from his first wife, suffered two brain tumours. He is now back to health and has also found happiness again with his second wife Louise Harris, whom he married in Spain in August this year.

As part of his national tour he performs at the Watford Colosseum, but over his 15 years of success he has won many accolades and performed for The Queen, the late Pope John Paul II who requested a private audience with Russell at the Vatican, former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, the Emperor of Japan and many others.

He has performed at Wembley many times before top sporting events and at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth games in 2002 where he sang to a world wide audience of one billion.

Other collaborations include Meatloaf, Lionel Richie, Paul McCartney, Lulu, Alexandra Burke, Sean Ryder and the late great Luciano Pavarotti.

His performances in stage shows have also earned him great critical acclaim, and he achieved a lifelong ambition when he collaborated on album tracks with Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, writers of the world’s most successful musical, Les Miserables.

And, not a lot of people know this, but Russell is the voice behind the iconic Star Trek series Enterprise soundtrack. All the more reason to boldly go along to his concert and discover just how great a performer he is.

Watford Colosseum, Rickmansworth Road, Watford, November 19. Details: 01923 571102, watfordcolosseum.co.uk