THE time has come, after more than a decade, for Laurie Briggs to "be herself".
Long known for her Karen Carpenter act, which has been performed at stages from Hong Kong to Canada, the one-time Hessle resident is being unmasked.
No longer is she purely focused on the songs of the late American singer, whose sounds she first fell in love with at the age of eight.
Instead, Laurie's cast her thoughts back to her dad's record collection, and the songs and voices, from Ella Fitzgerald to Judy Garland, that she first heard during her childhood.
"A lot of people were saying 'You can do Karen but you are fabulous in your own right'," she said.
"I kept getting asked if I could be myself."
The Ladies Of Song, which sees Laurie performing tracks by artists such as Judy Garland, Doris Day and Ella Fitzgerald, is to be staged in Bridlington.
"It opens the doors for performing the songs of the other wonderful singers I grew up with, the songs my dad would play on the gramophone," said Laurie.
"I hadn't realised how much I enjoyed discovering other singers and performing in my style."
But the fascination with Karen Carpenter, whose songs she performs as part of the new show, has never abated.
"I was eight years old when I first heard Karen's voice on the radio – it was an overwhelming feeling that remains with me to this day," Laurie told the Mail.
"It moved me and I started to emulate the sound I heard, but there will only ever be one Karen Carpenter."
She has admitted in the past that she was surprised at how far the tribute act, The Karpenters, has taken her.
Once a performer in a London-based Abba tribute group, Laurie set up the act after tiring of the regular trips to the capital for rehearsals.
She recruited Jason Scott, a musical director and freelance lecturer, as her "Richard", with the pair, backed by a band, touring countries across the world.
The duo have spent more than 11 years recreating the look and sound of the American brother and sister act, who bestrode popular music during the 1970s and shifted 100 million records.
Over that time, there has been an undoubted dedication to the tribute.
For her stage wear, Laurie tracked down authentic Californian dresses from the 1970s.
When preparing for a tour, every note, from the smallest percussion part to the backing vocals, was transcribed from the records.
It was not easy – Laurie says the duo's music was "so intricate" that they took six months to record the backing vocals before embarking on tour, backed by four months of rehearsals in a church hall in Leeds.
So far, they have taken the show to countries including China – where, Laurie says, audiences knew "every word" to the songs – Hong Kong and Russia.
For the duo's gigs in St Petersburg, she blended in by buying a Russian- style fur hat.
"There I was – a Karen Carpenter tribute from Yorkshire in a Russian hat. It was quite a combination," she said.
One of the most surprising things over the years, Laurie says, was the reception in Toronto, Canada, after some pre-performance nerves about taking the show to North America.
"I got a standing ovation there, I nearly fainted when they stood up," she said.
"I do it for the love of the music and for as wonderful an interpretation as I can."
She has also taken to songwriting.
This Time Around, a Carpenters- inspired number, attracted the interest of Doug Strawn – a Carpenters' collaborator – when she emailed it to him on a whim.
"He was one of the original members, someone who went with them from practising in a garage through to flying around in Lear Jets," she said.
"He loved it so much that he contacted me, and said he'd love to arrange the backing vocals. I nearly died at the thought of one of the original Carpenters working on my track."
Though the plan did not proceed, having got tangled up in industry red-tape, she is keen to write further songs.
But for the moment, she is focused on the tour dates.
The Ladies of Song, which is being performed at The Spa Bridlington, marks something of a nostalgic return to the East Riding for Laurie, who spent four years living in Hessle and Swanland.
"I went back to Leeds for personal reasons but I still love Hull," she said.
"I was back there the other day and it felt great to drive back into the city."
And she enjoys performing live as much as ever.
"As long as the phone keeps ringing, I will keep singing," she said.
Ladies of Song is being staged at The Spa Bridlington on Friday, July 11, at 7.30pm. Call 01262 678258. Visit www.karpenters.com
