The school has a classroom named after the Eva Cassidy, who died from cancer in 1996, and Mr Grimes talked to students about working with her and performed a few songs.

Mr Grimes is from Washington D.C. and this is his first visit to Britain. He will be spending the next week giving interviews around the country to promote a new anthology of Eva Cassidy songs, Wonderful World, which has been released on the Sussex-based label Hot Records.

Giving his first interview since arriving in the UK, he said: "I think she would be really flattered that they were doing this, and also perplexed that they were doing this for her."

Eva Cassidy has sold more than seven million records in the UK, but she never saw success in her lifetime.

She was a well-known singer in the Washington D.C. area, where she lived, but her eclectic style and shy personality meant that she never signed to a major record label.

It was only when Terry Wogan played her version of Over the Rainbow on his Radio 2 breakfast show that she finally got the attention she deserved.

Mr Grimes was played guitar on stage and in the studio with her, and said: "We got along great. She was very self-contained. She didn't speak much, but she had a tremendous depth of musical understanding. It was a great working relationship.

"She is more of cult figure in the States. Radio playlists are very tightly controlled in the States, although the Songbird CD may have gone platinum by now, I know it went gold a whole back."

Eva Cassidy never recorded any videos for her music, but a piece of footage of her singing Over the Rainbow in a club became the most demanded request on the programme Top of the Pops 2 when it was shown.

"Music is really an audio thing," said Mr Grimes. "I think videos are important though in getting people out to buy records.

"I'm really happy that people have bought this music and are interested in playing the CDs. I always felt that if the people who listened to Eva got the chance to hear her, then she would find an audience.

"Although, I did not think it would become as large as it is now."