Tag: Born

John Sumner – From Blackpool to King Kong

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John Sumner, born on 14 October 1951 in Blackpool, England, moved with his family to New Zealand at the age of nine. He began his career in the entertainment industry at 19, performing live on Auckland’s nightclub circuit. His talent quickly earned him a following, and within months, he appeared on local variety television shows. Over the next few years, Sumner became a versatile performer, gaining both popular and critical acclaim. Notable early roles included playing “Charlie Brown” in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and the character “Emory” in The Boys in the Band, showcasing his range from light-hearted… Read more »

Robert Smith Co-Founds The Cure

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Robert James Smith, born on 21 April 1959 in Blackpool, is a renowned British musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Cure, a pivotal band in the post-punk and gothic rock movements. Smith remains the band’s only continuous member, having shaped its sound since its formation in 1976. Raised in a musical household, Smith was the third of four children to Rita Mary (née Emmott) and James Alexander Smith. His father was a singer, and his mother played the piano, which likely influenced his early musical… Read more »

Ricky Tomlinson Becomes a Royle

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Eric ‘Ricky’ Tomlinson, born on 26 September 1939 in Burleigh House, Bispham, Blackpool, is an actor, comedian, and musician, best known for his television roles, including Bobby Grant in Brookside (1982–1988), DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker (1993–2006), and Jim Royle in the iconic sitcom The Royle Family (1998–2012). Despite his roots in Blackpool, he has lived in Liverpool for most of his life. Tomlinson’s early life saw him evacuated to Blackpool at the outbreak of World War II due to fears that Liverpool would be bombed. He attended Walton Technical College in Liverpool after passing an exam at the age… Read more »

Nick McCarthy Joins Franz Ferdinand

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Nicholas John McCarthy, born on 13 December 1974 in Blackpool, is a versatile musician known for his work as a rhythm guitarist, backing/lead vocalist, keyboardist, and songwriter. Although born in England, McCarthy grew up in Vagen, near Munich, Bavaria, Germany. His younger sister is the artist Anna McCarthy. As a teenager, McCarthy earned the nickname “McCarThief” after an incident where he and friends stole a car. He completed his high school education in Bad Aibling, Germany, and was classically trained as both a pianist and a double bassist at the Munich Conservatory. Initially drawn to drumming, McCarthy later settled into… Read more »

Cynthia Lennon – Born in Blackpool

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Cynthia Lennon (née Powell; 10 September 1939 – 1 April 2015) was a British artist and author, and the first wife of John Lennon. She was born in Blackpool on 10 September 1939 and raised in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula. She was the youngest of three children of General Electric Company employee Charles Powell and his wife Lillian (née Roby), who already had two sons named Charles and Anthony. Her parents were from Liverpool, but her mother (along with other pregnant women) was sent to the safer area of Blackpool after World War II had been declared and lived… Read more »

BBC’s John Simpson’s Cleveleys Start

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John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE is an esteemed English foreign correspondent and the current World Affairs Editor of BBC News. Born on 9th August, 1944, in Cleveleys, Lancashire, Simpson briefly experienced the serene coastal surroundings before being taken to London shortly after his birth. His father, Roy Simpson, a Christian Scientist and property developer, and his mother separated when John was seven. He spent much of his formative years in Dunwich, Suffolk, choosing to live with his father while his mother cared for his two half-sisters. Simpson was educated at prestigious institutions, including Dulwich College Preparatory School and St. Paul’s School,… Read more »

Jodie Prenger – A Blackpool Treasure

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Jodie Christine Prenger was born in Blackpool on 12 June 1979, and grew up in the town, the daughter of a Dutch father and an English mother with Irish heritage. She has one sibling, a brother named Marko. Jodie attended Elmslie Girls’ School in Blackpool before continuing her education at Blackpool and the Fylde College. Her love for performing quickly led her to pursue a career in entertainment, starting locally and becoming a familiar face on the cabaret circuit in Northern England, particularly in her hometown and along the Fylde Coast. Beyond her stage work, she also took on the… Read more »

Sir Andrew Palmley Served as Lord Mayor of London

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Sir Andrew Charles Parmley, KStJ, born on 17 October 1956 in Blackpool, is a distinguished British educator, musician, and public servant. He is currently the Principal of the Harrodian School in Barnes, London, and is perhaps best known for his tenure as the Lord Mayor of London from 2016 to 2017. The third of three sons, Parmley was educated at Blackpool Grammar School, which has since become Salvation Army Citadel, is where Parmley developed an early passion for music. He began playing the organ at a young age and achieved significant early success, passing the Associate of the Royal College… Read more »

John Robb Forms The Membranes Band

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John David Robb, born on 4 May 1961 in Fleetwood, grew up in Anchorsholme, Blackpool. He attended Blackpool Sixth Form College and Blackpool Grammar School, where his interest in the emerging punk rock scene led him to form his first band. A lifelong supporter of Blackpool FC, Robb has stated that supporting the local team is something that “gets under your skin for life.” In 1977, inspired by the DIY ethos of punk, Robb founded The Membranes, a punk band that released several albums in the 1980s before disbanding in 1990. Robb then formed Sensuround in the early ’90s, releasing… Read more »

Janet Munro’s US TV Debut – Hollywood Actress Born in Blackpool

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Janet Neilson Horsburgh, born on 28 September 1934 in Blackpool, was the daughter of Scottish comedian Alex Munro (real name Alexander Neilson Horsburgh) and Phyllis Robertshaw. Janet adopted her father’s stage name professionally and grew up in a showbiz environment, frequently appearing alongside him on stage. Her mother passed away when Janet was just seven years old, after which she was initially raised by her father. At the age of ten, she moved to the village of Embsay to live with her aunt and uncle for a while. Following her father’s remarriage, Janet returned to live with him and her… Read more »