'Downton Abbey' star heads on US tour with band

NEW YORK (AP) - "Downton Abbey" won't be the only place fans can see Elizabeth McGovern this winter: The show's star is heading on a tour with her folk-rock band in December.

McGovern is the lead singer for Sadie and the Hotheads, which embarks on its first U.S. tour Dec. 4 in Washington. The 10-date tour wraps Dec. 14 in Hartford, Connecticut.

McGovern plays the role of American heiress Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham, on the hit "Downton Abbey," which has its fifth season premiere on Jan. 4. The timing of the tour and the show's return is a coincidence, McGovern said.

"It's a slightly funny experience for fans of the show to come hear the music because it's such a different world to the show itself," McGovern told The Associated Press on Sunday. "When we first started touring there would be a lot of people carrying "Downtown Abbey' books ... and I could see a look of surprise on their faces because it isn't what you expect. I mean it's not a classical quartet of violins."

The PBS series has earned the 53-year-old actress Golden Globe and Emmy nominations.

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