ONE of Europe's most successful country singers and multi-instrumentalists appears on the Bolton Festival stage on Sunday night.

Sarah Jory first came to prominence as a steel guitar prodigy when she was just five-years-old.

At nine, and with an uncanny flair for music, she began working in a band. By the age of 16 she had decided to make singing her first priority so armed with an acoustic guitar she set about learning her trade, paying her dues on the hard pub circuit.

Now, aged 30, she is rated among the world's top five pedal steel guitar players -- one of the most complicated instruments to play, with 10 strings, a sliding bar, five knee levers and three foot pedals to co-ordinate at any one time. She also plays the mandolin, acoustic guitar, slide blues guitar, banjo and keyboards - and she can sing!

She said: "There's nothing wrong with a woman grabbing a guitar, getting down on her knees and playing her heart out. You don't have to leave it to the men."

She has toured with an impressive array of well known stars, including Eric Clapton, and country legends Charlie Pride, Kenny Rogers and 'Rhinestone Cowboy' Glen Campbell.

Sarah has recorded more than a dozen albums and for nine consecutive years in the 1990's was voted 'Female Vocalist of the Year' by the British Country Music Association.

With the image of country singing changing Sarah said: "People are starting to think maybe country music isn't so hick as they thought it was."

However, her last album "Kiss My Innocence", was heavily influenced by rock 'n' roll and the blues and the album she is currently working on includes some Cajun twangs.

"I don't want to be a pop artist. I'm not Mariah Carey. I'm not Celine Dion. I'm Sarah Jory and I'm very proud of that, said Sarah.

"I want to be Britain's answer to Shania Twain. I want this country to produce its first British female contemporary country artist who can sell out big venues and have albums in the charts."

Tickets are £10 with concessions available from the Albert Halls Ticket Centre on 334400.