Musicians who have both lost loved ones to brain tumour are staging a special fundraising concert in Upminster for cancer research.

Win D’Cruz, lead singer with The Cruisers band who lost his wife Judy at 60 last year, has teamed up with Chris Daley who performed on The Voice reality TV show in 2019 and who lost his mother Jenny aged 65.

They are putting on the event at Cranham community centre in June to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity, one of a series of concerts held twice a year but especially poignant as both main acts have lost loved ones to Glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain tumour.

“My wife used to enjoy these nights,” Win recalls. “But unfortunately she became too ill for the Christmas show we put on in 2022 and died a few weeks later.”

The concerts are billed as family friendly events where well wishers come with their own food and drink and dance the night away.

“But there is a serious side as we remember those we have lost,” Win points out. “We remind people that Glioblastoma is the biggest cancer killer of children and young adults under 40.”

Judy D’cruz, a mother-of-three, was well-known to the people of Upminster, helping to run local sports teams. Two of her sons played football for Upminster Park Rovers and cricket for Gidea Park & Romford and for Upminster.

There is a memorial plaque to her at Upminster’s Hall Mead school where she was a special needs assistant.

Judy was first diagnosed 12 years ago. Initial treatment was successful and the Brain Tumour charity encouraged her and Win to set up the Judy D’cruz Fund for research.

But her tumour returned in its deadliest form in 2022 and she died in January 2023.

“We knew Jude would not be with us for much longer,” Win told the Recorder. “Her fund was around £70,000 when she passed away.

“But we vowed to keep her name alive and continue to help find a cure for the disease that took her from us.”

Judy’s fund had raised £121,000 by March.

Tickets for the Saturday night concert at Cranham community centre in Marlborough Gardens on May 15 are £12, with all proceeds going to the Brain Tumour Charity’s Judy D’cruz Fund.