Funeral for r'n'r legend
FAREWELL TO
BO DIDDLEY
by

Bo Diddley Friends, fans and family have said a final farewell to Bo Diddley at his funeral in Florida.   The rock'n'roll legend died from heart failure at the age of 79.

Gospel singers played his music as relatives filed past his coffin. Hundreds of mourners clapped and chanted his song Hey, Bo Diddley.   Jerry Lee Lewis, George Thorogood, Tom Petty and sent flowers.

Paying tribute at the ceremony in Gainesville, Diddley's grandson Garry Mitchell said: "In 1955 he used to keep the crowds rocking and rolling way before Elvis Presley."

The guitarist's brother, the Rev Kenneth Haynes, said Diddley was tired of life on the road, but took it in his stride.   He recalled Diddley saying: "This is what God gave me to feed my family. I have to keep doing it until God says it's enough."

Singer Eric Burdon of The Animals said: "I've been a fan of his since 16 or 17 years of age."   The funeral was followed by a concert featuring Diddley's touring band and other musicians.

Chuck Berry, Sir Mick Jagger, Robert Plant and BB King were among the first to pay tribute following Diddley's death on June 2nd.   Jagger described him as an "enormous force in music" and "a big influence on the Rolling Stones".

Chuck Berry, a fellow artist of Diddley's at Chess Records, described him as "a great artist".   BB King called him "a music pioneer and legend with a unique style whose legacy will live on forever".

Twang machine

Born in 1928 at McComb, Mississippi, as Ellas Otha Bates, he moved with his family to Chicago when he was seven.   Although he had violin lessons as a child, he took up the guitar after being inspired by John Lee Hooker.   His adopted stage name, Bo Diddley, was a southern slang phrase meaning "nothing at all".   Diddley's trademarks were his rectangular Gretsch, nicknamed "the twang machine", his dark glasses and black hat.   His so-called 'Bo Diddley beat' influenced rockers from Buddy Holly, to Bruce Springsteen and U2.

He rose to fame in 1955 when he topped the r'n'b charts with Bo Diddley.   Other hits included Who Do You Love, Before You Accuse Me and Mona.   Between 1958 and 1963 Checker Records released 11 full-length albums by Bo Diddley.   In 1963 he starred in a UK concert tour with the Everly Brothers and Little Richard.   The still unknown Rolling Stones appeared much lower on the bill.   Over the decades, his performances have ranged from sweaty Chicago blues clubs to rock'n'roll oldies tours.

He suffered a stroke in May 2007, which affected his ability to speak - followed by a heart attack three months later.

Don't forget the Big Bopper

Millions mourned the death of Buddy Holly in the 1959 Iowa plane crash.   But some believe the legacy of fellow victim Big Bopper JP Richardson has been unfairly overlooked.

Martyn Gillie is one of only two Big Bopper tribute artists in Britain.   He's been telling us about his ten years in showbiz, most recently supporting Marc Robinson and the Counterfeit Crickets.

Martyn Gillie "How did I get started?   Good old fashioned karaoke, I'm afraid, doing the pubs and clubs in Derbyshire.   I've always been a rocker and I wanted to do a tribute act.   What's a six foot five former weightlifter going to do?   Buddy, Jerry Lee, Chuck Berry...?   Nah, the Bopper fitted me and I love the music.

"The most memorable moment in my career was my first gig at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms.   The place was rockin'.   Much of the Bopper's stuff is upbeat, fun, audience participation music especially Chantilly Lace.   So it's fantastic when people join in the chorus.   The ladies love it because I get among the audience and get them clapping their hands and really enjoying themselves.

Prolific

Martyn Gillie "What captivates me about the guy is that, like Buddy, he didn't have film star looks and was the wrong shape and size really to make a pop star.   But he did it and showed that you can achieve things with the right attitude.   Plus he wrote his own songs.   His legacy is overlooked because people forget he was a prolific song writer and performer.

Big Bopper "His songs were performed by George Jones (White Lightning) , Johnny Preston (Running Bear) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Chantilly Lace) to name a few.   His influence continued because he founded Big Bopper Music publishing which survived untill the 1980s.   One of my great ambitions would be to visit the crash site and play the Surf Ballroom.   What a gig that would be.

"Had he have survived I think the Bopper would have continued writing and made appearances in rock'n'roll revivals.   Bearing in mind that a film about the Bopper is now under way entitled The Day The Music Died, I expect a resurgence of interest in the Bopper when it gets released on February 3rd next year, the 50th anniversary of the crash.   And I want to be ready to go out on stage and rock it to them.   Cos, oh baby you KNOW what I like!"

See Martin in action on YouTube




2300 back ballroom campaign

Rivoli Ballroom 2300 people have joined an online campaign to save London's Rivoli Ballroom.

The historic dance hall is being circled by developers who have offered the owners £10m to demolish it and build flats.   But in a double boost to the conservation fight, English Heritage has given the building listed status and hundreds of supporters are pledging to buy the building themselves.

Alex Chappel only started his Let's Buy The Rivoli campaign on the social networking website Facebook in mid December, and has seen scores of people join each week.

"I'm bowled over and delighted by the progress," he said.   "I knew probably about 20 of my friends would join it, but they invited people who invited people who invited people, and I had 1000 members within a couple of days.   I knew this was possible, but quite how easy it was to drum up support was amazing."

Vibrancy

Rivoli Ballroom campaign on Facebook Alex says the aim of a ballroom buyout would be to "have it owned by shareholders not out necessarily for big profits but wanting to carry on the Rivoli as an excellent venue and a community thing doing interesting things.   Like a normal limited company, the shareholders would have votes on the fundamental business direction, and the company would appoint a board of directors and a manager to manage it.

"Too many cooks would spoil the broth, but it would be amazing to have all the musicians, photographers and performers that we have on board just to give the place a vibrancy.   I don't know how many members would put their money where their mouth is; but if we got a couple of large investments and then many small ones it could work.   Don't forget it doesn't just stop at the Facebook group - we could find many other avenues to find shareholders."

Alex has welcomed the decision to give the building grade 2 listed status, which means planning permission would be needed to change its use.   "It's not every day you win a triumph like that so quickly; the bureaucratic process often gets in the way."

English Heritage stepped in to list the ballroom within days of being approached by Facebook campaigners.   Lewisham councillor Sue Luxton said: "It means a developer can't just buy the site, demolish it and build a lot of flats there."

In its report English Heritage said the Rivoli was of "special architectural interest for its highly-unusual interior of 1958, the total effect of which is luxuriant, exotic and deeply theatrical.   It is ... an eloquent and unusual witness to the era of American jive and swing bands, lindy hop, jitterbug and rock'n'roll, alongside the continued popularity of traditional strict tempo ballroom.   It is a rare surviving example of a once common conversion of an early 20th century cinema to a ballroom."

Angry

But the decision to list the Rivoli has angered its owners, Bill and Jeanie Mannix who were considering two rival offers from property developers for the site, which is in a prime location beside Crofton Park Station.

Bill Mannix
Ballroom boss Bill Mannix
Mr Mannix told the News Shopper newspaper: "When we needed help in the past English Heritage were nowhere to be seen.   I approached them about 10 years ago for financial help to keep the place going when we had to put in disabled toilets and meet new regulations.   I'm very angry, actually.   If they had helped, even if it was just a tenner, I wouldn't mind so much.   There might be another bid, but this would just blight the whole thing."

In an earlier interview, 67 year-old Mr Mannix explained his reasons for wanting to sell up and retire after running the ballroom for three decades: "It is really my health that is moving me on.   The long hours become antisocial.   You are working and worrying while people are having fun all around you.   I am always running out of money for repairs and always praying for a good function.   We have to do maintenance all the time.   We have had two offers of £10m for the place.   I'm sad about the whole situation.   Jeannie will shed a tear when we leave and we will both miss all the stars."

Picture Palace

Although it may seem like the quintessential old fashioned ballroom, the Rivoli started life as a cinema.   It opened in July 1913 as the Crofton Park Picture Palace.   As cinema audiences were lost to television in the late 1950s, it was sold to local businessman and keen dancer Leonard Tomlin, who converted it into a ballroom.

He had the sloping cinema floor levelled and installed the sprung Canadian maple dance floor - one of the best in the country.   The Rivoli Ballroom opened on Boxing Day 1959.

From the outside the building blends into the surburban streetscape of Brockley Road, but those passing through its doors are transported into a parallel universe of red velvet, flock wallpaper, chandeliers, glitter balls and over-sized Chinese lanterns.

Rivoli Ballroom The Rivoli attracts a varied crowd of dancers.   It hosts ballroom, salsa and jive evenings.   Modern jive outfit Jive Party has used the venue since 1993.   In 2005 attempts were made to start regular 40s nights.

One regular said: "This is a jewel of a place and even the thought that it could become flats or a mundane night club is heart rending."

In its list of 101 things to do before you leave London, Time Out magazine advised readers to: "Dance to vintage American tunes at the spectacular Rivoli Ballroom".

The ballroom has been a favourite venue for video and photo shoots.   Tina Turner made her way to South East London to film the video for her hit Private Dancer at the Rivoli.   Other pop luminaries of the time who filmed at the Rivoli included Elton John (They Call It The Blues), S Club 7 (Don't Stop Movin'), Tracey Ullman (Move Over Darling) and the Beautiful South (I Sail My Ship Alone).   Paul McCartney also shot scenes from his film, Give My Regards To Broad Street, at the ballroom.   Kevin Spacey shot parts of Beyond The Sea there and it was seen in the thriller Spy Game starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.   Robert Lindsay's sleuth thriller TV serial Jericho transformed the Rivoli into a Soho ballroom and bar.   The list of guests includes Oasis, Charlotte Church, Kylie Minogue, Westlife and Vinnie Jones.

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