Russ Ballard (Argent) & Robert Hart (Bad Company) Acoustic Piano -

Russ Ballard (Argent) & Robert Hart (Bad Company)

Acoustic and Piano and two of the Biggest Voices in the Business.

There are artists who have hits… and then there are artists whose songs become part of the very fabric of modern music.
Between them, Russ Ballard and Robert Hart have spent over half a century not just performing rock and roll — but shaping it, writing it, and carrying it forward across generations.

Russ Ballard's story begins in the early 1960s — a young musician growing up in Hertfordshire, surrounded by music, absorbing everything from classical piano to early rock and roll. By the time the British beat explosion was in full swing, Ballard was already on the rise, performing with bands like The Roulettes and Unit 4 + 2 before stepping into a defining role as founding member, lead vocalist and guitarist with Argent.

With Argent, Ballard helped bridge the gap between the melodic sophistication of the 60s and the heavier, more expansive sound of the 70s. The band's breakthrough came with "Hold Your Head Up", a transatlantic hit that propelled them into the global spotlight, followed by the now-legendary "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" — a song that would later take on a second life as a worldwide anthem when covered by Kiss.

But it was when Ballard stepped away from the band that his true reach became apparent. What followed was one of the most extraordinary songwriting careers in British music history. His catalogue reads like a roll call of classic rock radio: "Since You Been Gone" and "I Surrender" — songs that helped define Rainbow's arena sound; "Winning" — taken to new heights by Santana; "You Can Do Magic" — a global smash for America; "New York Groove" — immortalised by Ace Frehley; and "Liar" — a hit for Three Dog Night.

As one critic succinctly put it, Ballard is "one of the UK's most successful songwriters… whose songs are part of the soundtrack to millions of lives."

And yet, beyond the hits for others, Ballard has continued to carve out a powerful solo career of his own — releasing albums across decades, writing, producing and performing music that remains rooted in melody, craft and authenticity. Quite simply, if you've listened to rock music over the last 50 years, you've been living in Russ Ballard's world.

Alongside him stands Robert Hart — a vocalist whose journey through rock has been defined not by shortcuts, but by sheer ability, resilience, and presence.

Hart first emerged in the 1980s, signed to Island Records and working with legendary figures such as Bernard Edwards of Chic, before forging a solo career and becoming one of the first English songwriters signed to Disney-owned Hollywood Records.
His songwriting and recording career took him across the Atlantic, into film soundtracks, major label releases, and international success — laying the groundwork for what would come next.

In 1992, Hart was invited to step into one of the most formidable roles in rock — becoming the lead vocalist of Bad Company. Not merely a stand-in, he became a full member of the band, writing, recording and touring globally, contributing to albums such as Company of Strangers and Stories Told & Untold, and fronting the band across the US and beyond.

But Hart's story doesn't stop there.

In 2001, he joined forces with Kenney Jones (Small Faces, Faces, The Who) to form The Jones Gang — a band rooted in classic British rock heritage, where Hart not only fronted the group but wrote much of the material. The project saw chart success and high-profile collaborations, including work alongside Ronnie Wood and other legendary musicians.

He would go on to work with a remarkable array of artists and musicians — including members of Whitesnake through The Company of Snakes, featuring Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody — placing Hart firmly within the extended family tree of British blues-rock royalty.

Since 2011, Hart has taken on the role of lead vocalist with Manfred Mann's Earth Band, carrying one of rock's great songbooks across the world, delivering iconic songs like "Blinded by the Light" and "Davy's on the Road Again" with a voice that is both timeless and unmistakably his own.

Across decades, collaborations, and continents, Hart has remained what musicians often call "a singer's singer" — a performer defined by authenticity, power, and an ability to inhabit every lyric.

And now — after lifetimes spent on the biggest stages, in the biggest studios, and at the very heart of the music industry — these two extraordinary artists come together.

Not in arenas. Not behind walls of amplifiers. But in the rarest setting of all.

At Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre — an intimate listening room where every note is heard, every word lands, and every story matters — Russ Ballard and Robert Hart strip it all back.

Just two voices. Decades of music.

This is where the songs return to their source. Where global hits become personal. Where the distance between artist and audience disappears completely. A lifetime of music… told face to face.

And a night that will stay with you long after the final note fades.