A MAN who spent his life bringing music and entertainment to audiences across the North West is to be remembered with a variety show he organised being renamed in his honour.
Glen South, who died in December aged 76, had been a familiar figure on the music scene since the 1960s working his way up to become a band leader with the mighty Mecca organisation. There he performed with some of the biggest names in the business including Tom Jones, Free, Fleetwood Mac and a young up-and-coming band from Liverpool called The Beatles.
In the Seventies, Glen was part of the band Vonny’s Magic which had some success on TV talent shows and won a heat of Opportunity Knocks. The band was hugely popular around the clubs of the North West and had a couple of minor hits in Europe.
To many people, Glen will be forever associated with the Goodnight Club in Nelson which brought a host of big names to the area and which he ran for 11 years from 1984.
For more than 10 years, Glen had been the mainstay of monthly afternoon variety shows held first at King George’s Hall, Blackburn; Darwen Library Theatre and more recently at Nelson’s Ace Centre.
Now the Glen South Afternoon Variety Shows are to be held at Colne Muni.
Glen’s wife Sue said: “Although he spent so much of his life on stage and with performers, Glen never liked being in the spotlight but I think he’d be secretly pleased that the shows are being named in his honour.
“They were and are very much his shows and it is nice to be able to think of these shows as his legacy.”
The December show held a week after Glen died attracted an audience of around 500 and singer James Cockerill, a regular performer at the events – along with Sue – did not want to disappoint the regular attendees and agreed to continue the shows in Glen’s name.
“The line-ups for the next three months were all sorted out by Glen before he died,” said Sue.
Pendle Leisure Trust’s Event’s Co-ordinator, Lauren Jackson, said: “Glen’s enthusiasm for the variety shows never wavered, no matter how his health was. His passion for the success of the shows was inspiring and I am really delighted that James, along with Sue, will continue the shows in honour of Glen - he was a true star!”
Sue said that she was already looking at booking acts for future shows.
“I’ve got Glen’s address book to help me,” she said. “He knew everyone in the business and was so well liked.
“Continuing the shows at the Muni will be Glen’s legacy for the people of Pendle and beyond who all loved him. The shows have always been excellent, enjoyable and popular.”
The first Glen South Afternoon Variety Show will be at the Muni on Thursday, February 24 starring comedian Johnnie Casson. Details from www.themuni.co.uk
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