'Queen of British soul' Beverley Knight gets honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University

• Sameena Ali-Khan spoke to Beverley Knight on the day she received her honour

Beverley Knight has been described as the “Queen of British soul and a true icon of the West Midlands” by Sir Lenny Henry after receiving an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University.

Knight, from Wolverhampton, is an award-winning singer, songwriter and actress, and she was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2006 for services to British music and charity.

She also performed at the closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. 

Sir Lenny Henry, said, “Beverley is the Queen of British soul and a true icon for the West Midlands, well and truly flying the flag for Wolverhampton. 

“She’s an accomplished songwriter and a dynamite live performer. She's been behind some of the most powerful music to come out of the UK in recent times – and if that wasn’t enough, she’s also made a huge impact in her charity roles.”  

Speaking to Sameena, Knight said it was wonderful to be back in the Midlands, "What a fabulous day for me. It was gorgeous.

"It's home. So much of my personality, my character, is bound up in Wolverhampton, it shaped me, it moulded me, it gave me the start in my music career, it kept me sane, it kept me earthy.

"London is my address, I'm so fond of London, but if I'm talking about home I'm talking about Wolverhampton, we are the beating heart of this country."

Best known for the songs ‘Greatest Day’, ‘Get Up!’, ‘Shoulda Woulda Coulda’ and ‘Come As You Are’, Knight has won three MOBO Awards, received three nominations for Best Female at the Brit Awards, and has also been nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize. 

Her first new studio album in seven years, ‘The Fifth Chapter’, will be released this September, followed by her biggest-ever tour of the UK this autumn.