THANKFULLY the legal profession missed out in Ola Onabule’s case. If a chance encounter with a man on the street hadn’t taken place, the London soul singer and former law student’s life could have been very different.

He explains: “I was studying law at university and in my first year I bumped into this guy in the West End.

“I was just humming to myself and he asked me whether I was off to a gig. He thought I was a musician and when I told him I wasn’t he said ‘well you sound like one’.

“He was off to a gig himself, but he said if I ever wanted to meet his band then I should contact him.”

Ola took the man’s offer up, which led to his first gigs.

He adds: “I just went up there and sang. It was the most amazing feeling I ever had. I wasn’t sure how it had gone, but afterwards everyone was coming up to me and congratulating me. I was kind of hooked from then on. That was two decades ago and I’m still hooked.”

The career as a lawyer was put paid to, as Ola embarked on a singing one instead. He was briefly signed to Elektra, before spending time as a session musician with Simply Red, KD Lang, George Michael and Michael Ball.

Now Ola is probably one of the best-kept secrets in the UK music industry, regularly selling out venues across the country with his repertoire of soul and jazz numbers.

Hailed as one of Britain's finest soul singers, Ola has worked with some of the best in the business, including Natalie Cole, Al Jarreau, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle.

His Colchester show is one of many leading up to the release of his new album Seven Shades Darker, which is being released all over Europe.

He says: “I love it all – the performing and the recording. I’m a real geek when it comes to being in the studio. I can spend a whole day in the studio fiddling with the technical aspect of things.

“I’ve got quite a few gigs coming up and they’re all over the place, including several in Europe, but that is one of the joys of being a musician, visiting all these amazing places and singing to audiences all over the world. It’s great.”

Ola Onabule is performing on Sunday, 8.30pm, at Colchester Arts Centre, in Church Street, Colchester.

£10 to £12, £8 concessions, 01206 500900. www.colchesterartscentre.com