Complete with blond locks, jeans, cowboy hat and a Southern drawl, Wayne Denton was a dead-ringer for the late country singer John Denver.

He energetically played a selection of six and 12-string acoustic guitars and still found time for three colourful shirt changes.

He covered hits ranging from the romantic – Annie’s Song, Leaving On A Jet Plane and Country Roads – to the faster, foot-stomping Grandma’s Feather Bed.

The accomplished band included guitarist and drummer Phil Walker, Ian Kimber on keyboards, and vocalist Jaime Lovett, who performed a sweet solo of Eva Cassidy’s Fields Of Gold.

A video screen revealed footage of Denver and his beloved countryside, alongside harsher images of war, famine and rockets which accompanied some intense lyrics.

Obviously a huge admirer of Denver, who died in a helicopter accident in 1997, Denton produced a heartfelt tribute. “The spirit of John has been with us tonight,” he said, adding: “I intend to keep his memory alive as long as I’m alive.”

Judging by the beaming audience, his memory is being preserved as vividly as possible.