MORE than 40 years after they almost died in a car crash near Evesham, two charismatic figures from the 1960s will be making a return to the area early next year.

Former Shadows guitarist Jet Harris and singer Billie Davis will appear at the Lifford Hall in Broadway on February 19, 2006.

The pair were on their way from Evesham to Worcester on the day Jet was presented with Musician of the Year award when their chauffeur-driven Humber Snipe collided with a Midland Red bus.

"We were very lucky to survive that," Jet said. "Someone must have been looking after us."

Jet - his real name was Terence but was nicknamed Jet by his school friends because of his athletic prowess - was the first man in the UK to play electric bass guitar.

"I couldn't believe it when I first saw it," he said. "I was used to lugging a double bass around with me and this felt very strange. I kept thinking I should be playing it lying on the floor because I was so accustomed to having my left arm in the air!"

News of his skill with this new instrument soon spread and skiffle groups were keen to enlist his skills.

In 1958 Jet was introduced to a young Cliff Richard and was invited to join his backing group the Drifters.

However, the American band with the same name took out an injunction and in the Eight Bells pub at Ruislip, Hank, Bruce and Jet met to discuss a new name. Jet suggested the Shadows and a legend was born.

The last recording Jet did with the group was Wonderful Land in 1962. He left the band the same year and had two hit singles in his own - Besame Mucho and the title theme to the film The Man With The Golden Arm.

In 1963 he teamed up with Tony Meehan and had an immediate hit with Diamonds, composed for him by Jerry Lordan who had written Apache, Wonderful Land and other hits for the Shadows.

During the late 70s he recorded Inside Jet Harris in Gloucester Prison - the only person other than Johnny Cash to have recorded a live performance in a jail.

Billie Davis, who was born Carole Hedges, was a successful artiste in her own right when the couple met.

Her recordings included Tell Him, which made it into the Top Ten and He's The One with Decca before she moved to Columbia and released another five singles. Her final two were recorded on the Piccadilly label.

Apart from her solo output, she appeared on record with other artists too. Her first taste of success came with Mike Sarne's Will I What and later joined forces with a singer from Birmingham called Keith Powell, cutting several unsuccessful records together.

At the time of their car crash, the couple were romantically involved and although the relationship petered out, they have continued to work together.

"She's a great artist and great fun to work with," said Jet. "I am now doing the promoting myself, so we are only visiting venues I have played before.

"We managed to fill the Lifford Hall the last time we were in Broadway so I'm hoping for a repeat this time."