´Lanzarote Will Always Be My Home´ - Leroy Brown on Music, Memories and Returning to Lanzarote

Originally from Derby UK, Leroy first arrived in Lanzarote in 2001, quickly becoming a familiar face on the island’s cabaret and entertainment scene before leaving in 2009 to return home. Now dividing his time between South Wales and Lanzarote with his partner Cat and daughter Vinnie, Leroy continues to bring his soulful Motown sound to audiences both on the island and across the UK.

Ahead of his upcoming performances at The Good Old Days this June, we caught up with Leroy to talk about his early days in Lanzarote, life on the cabaret circuit, what drew him back to the island after all these years, and why Lanzarote still feels like home.

What brought you here originally?

“I came here on my own on February 7th — one date I’ll never forget. After a serious illness which nearly took my life, it became a case of thinking: ‘Well, you’re 40 years of age, what are you going to do that’s different?’ And this was it — Lanzarote was the place.

“I’d been here a couple of times previously as a tourist on holiday and completely fell in love with the island.”

Did you plan to stay long-term at the time?

“Yeah, absolutely. When I moved here, that was it. I sold everything in the UK and had no plans to head back.”

What were your first impressions of the island?

“It was just a proper tourist destination. Back then it wasn’t so heavily populated with Irish bars like it is now — it was more of a good mix of bars and entertainment venues.”

Where were some of the places you performed in those early years?

“I started off presenting Karaoke, and then my first soul performances were actually at Soul Sista. Michelle opened the bar and had never had a soul singer before, and that’s really where the niche came in.

“At the time I didn’t even know all the words to the songs, so I’d have my little laptop there with karaoke backing tracks running while I performed.

“From there i moved into Costa Teguise where I had a residency at Legend Show Bar with Russ and Hazel. I also performed in Playa Blanca at Popeye’s, and across Matagorda, Las Calas and holiday complexes all over the island.”

Leroy also owned two bars during his years on the island — Leroy’s Bar on the Puerto del Carmen strip, and Flairs, a retro 70s and 80s-themed bar in Centro Comercial Atlántico.

“At the same time I was doing radio with UK Away, Buzz FM and Power FM. But entertainment was always the main thing.”

Did you quickly feel at home?

“I’d already spent 12 years in the armed forces, so moving around the world wasn’t difficult for me. But this was different because I came here completely on my own.

“Very quickly though, Lanzarote became home.”

What are your happiest memories from your years living in Lanzarote?

“There are far too many to mention.

“Becoming a soul singer was massive for me. Hosting the Ironman competitions with Jules was brilliant. And of course, meeting Cat, and our daughter Vinnie being born on the island was one of the biggest moments of my life.”

When you look back at your first years in Lanzarote, what stands out most?

“The thing that stands out most is entertaining tourists.

“They’d arrive on holiday leaving all their worries behind, and they’d look at entertainers like me and say: ‘Give me a good week. Give me good memories.’

“That’s what I loved doing — helping people smile.”

One memory that still stands out vividly for Leroy was a chance encounter that unexpectedly took him to America.

“A year after becoming a soul singer, I was in Costa Teguise when a woman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I’d sing at her bar in Florida.

“I honestly thought she was just a drunk tourist but suddenly i was flying from Lanzarote to Key Largo in Florida to perform in an American nightclub.

“A year earlier I’d been doing karaoke. Suddenly I was singing in Florida. It was surreal.”

Why did you decide to leave Lanzarote?

“Leaving Lanzarote in 2009 was a gut-wrencher. It was mainly for family reasons.

“Cat and I had Vinnie, who was only three or four years old, and we needed to be back in the UK. Being 2,000 miles away just wasn’t practical anymore.”

How did life change after moving back to Wales?

“I settled back into South Wales and worked the entertainment circuit across Wales and the UK. I’ve never really been short of work.

“Even though I’ve technically retired from full-time work now, I still perform because it’s what I absolutely love doing.”

Did you always think you might return one day?

“Yes — definitely.

“In 2023 I genuinely planned to move back permanently. I had accommodation lined up in Matagorda, I had an agent in Tías, hotel work ready to go — everything was in place.

“But once I flew back to the UK to prepare for the move, something just didn’t feel right deep down. So I never made the permanent move back.”

What did you miss most about the island after leaving?

“The people. The warmth. The familiarity.

“Nothing really changes in Lanzarote — and I mean that in the best possible way. The same open arms, the same warm hearts. That’s what keeps bringing me back.”

How and when did your return first happen?

“After not performing here for years, I started coming back regularly around 2023.

“And now it’s become a regular thing — if I come to the island, I have to do a few gigs. Otherwise it just doesn’t feel right.”

How does it feel performing here now compared to years ago?

“It feels special because I see it now as giving something back to Lanzarote.

“The island gave me so much — a lifestyle, a living, recognition, friendships, memories. So coming back and doing a couple of shows is my way of saying thank you.”

"I cannot come back to Lanzarote without gigging in The Good Old Days, my life wouldnt be worth living!"

Do audiences here react differently compared to the UK?

“Yes, definitely. Holiday audiences are different because they’re relaxed. They want to have fun and make memories.

“There’s something unique about performing in Lanzarote that you don’t quite get anywhere else.”

Which songs always get the biggest reaction?

“Anything Motown always works — The Temptations, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder. Those songs just connect with people instantly.”

What does a perfect Lanzarote day look like to you?

“A slow morning coffee somewhere in Puerto del Carmen, a wander along the strip, maybe meeting a few old faces, then finishing the evening performing live somewhere.”

What’s one thing tourists should experience while they’re here?

“Honestly? Just experience the atmosphere. Walk the strip, talk to people, sit in the bars, enjoy the island properly. Lanzarote is all about the feeling you get when you’re here.”

After all these years, what does Lanzarote mean to you now?

“It’s home in my heart.

“Everybody has that one special place in the world. Lanzarote is mine.”

Could you ever see yourself moving back permanently?

“Never say never.

“If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d probably be back here in a heartbeat.

“But life changes. We’ve bought a house in the UK now and our roots are there too. Still, I’d love the idea of spending winters in Lanzarote one day.”

What is it about Lanzarote that got under your skin and stayed with you all these years?

“I honestly don’t know. There’s just something about the island that stays with you."

“No matter where else I think about going, I always end up back in Lanzarote. 

"I flick through a holiday brochure and could go anywhere in the world, but no, i always end up back here"

Finish this sentence: “Lanzarote is…”

“…the best place anyone in the world can visit.”