STEPHEN Triffitt does more than pay tribute to Sinatra. Roger Malone finds out how he becomes the legend

IMAGINE it. The Sands Hotel, Las Vegas, 1966 – the atmosphere electric with anticipation as Sinatra is all set to swing. You can experience the next best thing to those iconic concerts when Stephen Triffitt appears at the Princess Theatre, Torquay, backed by a 17-piece big band.

The performer captures arguably the most famous and hard-swinging live performance Sinatra ever made.

For Stephen, what started out as a bit of karaoke fun in Tenerife grew, via TV's Stars In Their Eyes, to global success.

Fed up selling timeshare, he returned to Britain where he sold photocopiers by day and by night performed a 45-minute set of covers featuring such artists as Billy Joel, Elton John and Frank Sinatra.

His Sinatra became so popular it led to a TV talent show slot and to him filling The Palladium five times and following Sinatra's footsteps into the Sands.

"The Copa Room, the lounge at The Sands, only sat 300 people because it was all booths," says Stephen. "Sinatra was on home turf and was doing about three shows a day. The more people that came the more money the casino made, and the more money he made."

Stephen has progressively perfected his performance but still admits to anxiety.

"Five minutes before I go on I get nervous. Taking that first step on stage is terrifying. But two lines into the song, I can relax and I'm fine."

As well as his one-man show Stephen has performed in the highly successful The Rat Pack, featuring the songs and on-stage chemistry between Sinatra, Sammy Davis and Dean Martin.

"I have met so many people I have watched on TV. Stephanie Powers was in the audience and afterwards told me the voice was great but the movements were too much. More was less as far as Frank was concerned – valuable advice that always goes through my head when I'm on stage."

Stephen says he "becomes" Sinatra in what is a homage rather than a tribute.

"I try to be Frank with every gesture, even the speech. I put on a New Jersey drawl," says Stephen.

In the first half of his show he is himself singing as Sinatra with the big band playing the Quincy Jones arrangements; the second half he becomes Sinatra at the Sands.

"He was 50 when he did the Sands concerts and I'm 48 – I'm only two years behind him!"

Stephen is proud of the fact that one of Sinatra's daughters came back stage and shook his hand.

"She said: 'Hello, I'm Tina. I'm your daughter!' She was quite moved by the performance. What ever else happens I have that to look back on."

Stephen Triffitt – Sinatra Live At the Sands is at the Princess Theatre, Torquay (0844 847 2315), on Friday, February 26.