The man behind the music
Sid Hudson is a Bedfordshire promoter, DJ and author who has spent his life around soul music and the people who love it.
Founder, host & DJ
Sid started out hosting events and working alongside classic soul and Motown acts including Edwin Starr, The Drifters and The Supremes. Those nights shaped everything Cali-R does today: real records, a packed floor and a crowd that sings every word.
As founder and host of the Sid Hudson Road Show, he brings the same energy to weddings, private parties and club nights across Bedfordshire, United Kingdom.
During the COVID-19 lockdowns Sid kept the music playing with virtual online streams, which earned local and national recognition, including an SME award through Mind. He has also written a memoir about his life in music and the history of the local soul scene.
Keep the faith.
Why it all started in Dunstable
For a generation in Bedfordshire, the California Ballroom was where you heard the music first. The Rolling Stones and The Supremes played there, and soul fans travelled from miles around. When it closed in 1979 the building went, but the memories stayed.
Cali-R exists to keep that feeling alive, for the people who were there and for everyone discovering this music now.
- 1960s–1979
The California Ballroom in Dunstable hosts the biggest names in soul, Motown and rock.
- 1979
The Ballroom closes its doors.
- 1996
A memorial event brings the old crowd back together.
- 1997
Sid and Jacqui Hudson found Cali-R and run the first tribute night.
- 2020–2021
Online lockdown streams keep the community dancing at home and win awards.
- Today
Soul nights, Christmas parties and events in Bedfordshire, still run by the Hudson family.
A family operation
Sid runs Cali-R with his wife Jacqui and their children. Every night is hosted by people who care about the music and the crowd.
The music
Classic Motown, 60s and 70s soul, reggae, funk and jazz-funk from the 1960s through the 1980s, often with guest soul legends and tribute acts.
The community
Join the Cali-R Facebook group for photos, ticket news and memories from the Ballroom days.
Find the Facebook group