Peter Stringfellow has passed ... R I P

The guy who ran the best mod / soul club in Yorkshire in the mid 60's has left us. In later life, he became a bit of a joke figure due to his lifestyle & efforts to remain young forwver BUT for anyone who was a teenager in SouthYorkshire in 1965/66/67/68 he was an icon. First with the King Mojo, then RSG, Down Broadway, the Penthouse, Tin Chicken, Queens Hall, etc. To us, Mojo members he really was KING.

The news report ... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-44394076

Edited June 7, 20187 yr by Roburt

Just about the biggest anthem at the Mojo ...

 

Edited June 7, 20187 yr by Roburt

Spoke to Richie Pitts years ago and he said Peter Stringfellow brought him and the Velours over to perform and persuaded them to change the group name to The Fantastics. He said The Velours meant nothing.

Must have been great times back then. You folks who were there should share your memories.

Only ever seen Peter on TV and what a life he led!

RIP 

Ed

1 hour ago, Mick Boyle said:

Spoke to Richie Pitts years ago and he said Peter Stringfellow brought him and the Velours over to perform and persuaded them to change the group name to The Fantastics. He said The Velours meant nothing.

Not quite totally true ... The Velours were brought over to the UK and made to appear as a fake version of the Temptations by UK promoter Roy Tempest. Lots of the early UK gigs they did were for Pete. He liked them & they liked him, so they asked him to become their manager. He accepted the role but got them to change their name to the Fantastics ... the rest is history ... 

SOME ON-LINE BITS about Roy Tempest .. ... In the late 60s I booked a lot of Roy Tempest's acts - Alan Isenberg was the agent there that I dealt with. One time I'd booked 'Fontella Bass' into a club in Wrexham for a Friday night and 'Mary Wells' at a venue in Telford on the Saturday for the same promoter. He and I went to Wrexham to see Fontella and were spotted by one of Roy's road managers. In the ensuing conversation he casually dropped in, "oh you've got Mary Wells tomorrow night in Oakengates haven't you". We had. Early the next morning, a telegram arrived saying Mary Wells had had to return to America unexpectedly, but all was not lost, Fontella was 'free' that night and could appear in her stead. Whoever the girl singer was, she was obviously being both artists. All of that said, I don't remember ever having a 'bad' act from Roy Tempest.

see here for more details on the Velours & their UK backing band back then ... .... https://www.garagehangover.com/tag/roy-tempest/

Edited June 7, 20187 yr by Roburt

Sad to see that Pete has died, he was instrumental in the rare soul scene in Sheffield in the early 60's holding all nighters at the King Mojo until it was curtailed as his license  was revoked due to locals complainting & the police activity. Went on to start the Down Broadway club (under 18's only) below the Bata shoe shop in the High Street which is where I started to frequent because of the music played & was where I was introduced to was was later named Northern Soul.  Great music Willie Mitchell, Billy Stewart, Contours et al,  superb atmosphere Wednesdays being standing room only. He started me on a love of a style of music that has lasted for around 50 years

R.I.P Pete

This was posted by Roburt this morning Mojoman so I've flagged this for you.

@-Mike

Maybe the mods could collate these tributes into one thread ?

 

thanks for flagging 

have just merged and retitled as well 

Perhaps a 'memorial' concert with some of the surviving soul acts? I'd be up for it!!!

Another tribute of sorts to Stringers ... from John Cheatdom's book ...