Dean is enjoying an impressive run of success as one of the UK’s most popular Freddie Mercury tribute performers. Alongside his regular UK appearances, he performs with Queen UK and on international stages, including a recent sell-out European tour taking in Pamplona, Geneva, Milan and the prestigious Palau de la Música in Barcelona.
He is also a firm favourite with P&O, MSC and Marella Cruises, performing his Queen show around the world and sharing the stage with stars including Alfie Boe, David Essex and Katherine Jenkins. His growing list of credits includes Butlin’s, Away Resorts, Parkdean Resorts and TUI’s Sensatori resorts, while he has performed at major events including the Maspalomas Pride Festival in Gran Canaria, where crowds can reach 80,000.
And there’s plenty more to come, with Dean now booked for the 2026 Club Awards. Oh - and Carival Cruises in 2027!
Where it all began: Music is in Dean’s blood, with his mother a headline act in Cumbria during the heyday of the club circuit - following in the footsteps of her own mother.
He started playing piano at seven and, while still at school, he could be found performing in hotels around his hometown of Morecambe. At university, Dean continued performing whenever he could, including at the Summerbreeze Festival in front of 20,000 people.
He went onto support acts including 911, Alexander O’Neal, Leo Sayer, Tony Hadley, Edwin Starr and Rose Royce, and won a national MTV Select competition to find new talent, and was one of five contenstants out of 6,000 for BBC Star for a Night, hosted by Jane McDonald, attracting the attention of leading agents and theatre impresario Bill Kenwright.
Then came Queen After joining an established Queen tribute band, Dean caught the attention of the producer of Legends, Blackpool’s longest-running and most successful show, enjoying consecutive summer seasons at Central Pier, The Sands and the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom, as well as Christmas party nights, regularly performing to more than 1,000 guests.
Andy Wills – the man behind the Brian May sound
Andy Wills has established himself as one of the UK’s leading professional Brian May tribute guitarists, bringing the unmistakable sound, style and showmanship of Queen’s legendary guitarist to stages across the UK and overseas.
Andy is a key member of The Freddie & Queen Experience, the internationally acclaimed, fully live five-piece production which recreates the excitement of a Queen concert, complete with replica instruments and costumes and a set inspired by Queen’s spectacular 1986 Magic Tour.
His attention to detail is central to the performance. From Brian May’s instantly recognisable guitar tone to the riffs, solos and signature breaks that helped define Queen’s sound, Andy recreates the guitarist’s contribution with remarkable accuracy.
His performances have taken him beyond the UK, including appearances in the UAE and Europe, and his work has received particular praise from Queen fans. Following a Queen Experience performance in Doha, one review highlighted Andy’s faithful recreation of Brian May’s famous riffs and guitar breaks.
For the Club Awards, Andy joins Dean Richardson as Freddie Mercury, bringing the guitar power of Brian May to a performance packed with Queen classics.
With Andy on guitar and Dean taking centre stage as Freddie, expect plenty of volume, plenty of attitude – and, naturally, plenty of We Will Rock You!
