A MUSIC shop owner who helped bring rock n' roll to East Lancashire has died, aged 67.

Mary 'Mort' Mortimer was responsible for introducing "bop" to thousands of music fans in the 1950s.

She and her late husband, Joe, were professional ballroom dancers but were bitten by the rock n' roll bug.

They changed their ballroom in Blackburn Road, Accrington, into a dance hall and it became an attraction for teenagers wanting to hear the new American sound.

As the craze took off, Mary opened her own record shop below Mort's Dance Hall to cope with demands from teenagers to own the records being played upstairs.

The couple had to leave the dance hall when Joe's health deteriorated.

But they bought a shop on Whalley Road, Accrington, and started selling electric guitars and all types of instruments.

After her husband died in 1975, Mary sold the instrument shop. She bought two terrace houses further up the road, which she converted into a record shop, Mary's Music.

The shop attracted thousands of customers from specialist dance DJs to brass band fans.

Her daughter, Mary-Lou Duggan, who was named after the Ricky Nelson, said: "She made a roaring success of it because she believed in offering all the fashions. "She memorised all her customers' preferences and would ring them up if something came in she thought they would like.

"Elvis's Love Me Tender will be played at the funeral as a display of gratitude. She knew she could always stock his record and be guaranteed to sell them all.

"A rocky version of The Beatles' Let It Be will also be played and that is because of the words."

Mary, who was born in Whitewell, was still selling records until a few months before her death.

Away from the record business, Mary represented Central Ward on Accrington Town Council for six years and was a big cricket fan.

She moved in with her daughter and son-in-law, Peter, at their home in Burnley in September after living above the shop for many years.

She died in Blackburn Royal Infirmary after complications following an operation.

Apart from her daughter, Mary also leaves a son, Bob, who lives on the Isle of Man, and five grandchildren.

The funeral will be at Accrington Crematorium on Friday.

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