[16
NOV 00] COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE PROMOTIONS NEWS
Waterman Nostalgic About Coventry Theatre
Pop
guru Pete Waterman has revealed that the first-ever concert he
went to was at the Coventry Theatre, now the subject of a legal
battle over its demolition.
The
Coventry-born pop legend was visiting the city last night to
promote his autobiography I Wish I Was Me at the Writers At The
Hall event in St Mary’s Guildhall.
He
said he couldn’t remember exactly who he saw, but the fist
ever show he saw featured either Arthur Askey or Norman Wisdom.
Mr
Waterman, who has launched the career of countless pop stars
including Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Steps and Jason Donovan,
added that the fist pop concert he ever went to was Cliff
Richard and the Shadows.
Breaking
off from giving his answer to the audience, he asked:
“Does
everybody know which building I’m talking about?”
Someone
called out:
“It’s
still there – but not for much longer.”
A
High Court battle was starting today over the Coventry Theatre, now
better known as the Hippodrome or Gala Bingo hall, over whether a
compulsory purchase order for the building was issued correctly.
It
is memories such as Mr Waterman’s, who grew up in Burlington Road,
Stoke Heath, that has made campaigners determined to save the old
building.
Mr
Waterman, who has been in the pop business for 34 years, spoke
fondly of childhood days in Coventry, and described the moment that
listening to the Beatles’ Love Me Do made him want to spend his
career in the music business.
He
confessed to missing many lessons at Frederick Bird Primary School
preferring instead to spend hours in St Mary’s Guildhall.
He
said:
”If
I could have changed my education I would have. There were 61 kids
in my class and no teacher can give you the education you need in
those conditions.”
His
confident patter belied his illiteracy, which he only recently
conquered. At one stage he bought a Ferrari for £30,000, but
couldn’t write the cheque because he couldn't spell
"thirty".
He
told the crowd that the reason he wrote his book was to try and put
the effect British music had on the world in context.
He
said:
“Most
people don’t understand what was happening socially in the
industry at the time.
“Trying
to explain to a 23 or 24-year-old the impact the Beatles had in
1962 is almost impossible because time has changed our country so
much.”
SEE:
[16 NOV 00] REVIEW
MISTY-EYED
MEMORIES OF COVENTRY
SEE: [15
NOV 00] LAWYERS
TAKE PHOENIX INITIATIVE TO COURT RECOUNT
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