SOUL maestro Alexander O'Neal is among the great singers of his genre with a robust voice in the Otis Redding groove.

O'Neal rose to fame in the 80s with a number of smash hits including the top five single Criticize and holds the record for the most consecutive sold-out gigs at Wembley Arena by an African-American singer.

The now British-based singer hit the peak of his success with his 1986 album Hearsay, which went platinum in the UK.

The Base Sessions team caught up with him for a backstage chat following his headline show at the Upton Music Festival.

The Base Sessions is recorded and produced by Base Media in Stourbridge.