Tag: Music

Marli Harwood Signs With Island Records

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Marli Harwood (born Marilena Buck, 13 March 1975 in Lytham St Annes) also known as Marli Buck, is a British singer and songwriter. A piano and guitar player, she is of Eritrean, Italian, Welsh and English extraction. In 1995, she was signed by Chris Blackwell to his Island Records label. During the recording of her debut album, Blackwell decided to sell Island Records, and Harwood’s album was never released. In 2002, Harwood appeared on Fame Academy, and finished eighth in the series. She then recorded several albums with various major record labels, which remained unreleased or promoted. In 2010, the… Read more »

Tessie O’Shea Returns to Blackpool to Share Bill with The Beatles

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Teresa Mary “Tessie” O’Shea (13 March 1913 – 21 April 1995) was a Welsh entertainer and actress. She was born at 61 Plantagenet Street in Riverside, Cardiff to newspaper wholesaler James Peter O’Shea, who had been a soldier and who was the son of Irish emigrants, and his wife Nellie Theresa Carr. O’Shea was reared in the British music hall tradition and performed on stage as early as age six, billed as “The Wonder of Wales”. When staying at Weston-super-Mare as a child, she got lost and was only discovered when her mother heard her singing the Ernie Mayne hit,… Read more »

VE Day Blackpool – 2025

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Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Thursday 8 May [2025] will be a very special day in Blackpool as we celebrate 80 years since VE Day. Across the town, events have been organised by community groups and schools, as well as neighbours making the occasion with street parties.”

Robbie Williams Switches Blackpool On

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On Friday 3 September 2010, global pop icon Robbie Williams returned to one of his favourite childhood holiday destinations to switch on the world-famous Blackpool Illuminations. The highly anticipated event drew thousands of spectators to the town’s iconic seafront, officially launching the annual display of lights that would run for a record 66 consecutive nights. The switch-on ceremony has long been a staple of the resort’s calendar, but Williams’ involvement that year added a particular buzz of excitement, thanks to his massive fanbase and his own nostalgic connection to the town. While Robbie did not perform on the night, his… Read more »

Peter Kay Switches on Blackpool’s Illuminations for Star-Studded Weekend

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Britain’s most popular comedian, Peter Kay, switched on Blackpool Illuminations in 2014. In a rare public appearance, the Phoenix Nights star, whose name has been synonymous with Blackpool since his record selling “Live at the Top of Tower” DVD, charmed the 20,000-strong crowd at Blackpool’s seafront Festival Headlands.Fireworks launched from the top of The Blackpool Tower as the lights turned on the Golden Mile and along the length of the town’s famous Promenade. The Bolton-born comedian revealed his delight at turning on the famous display in an exclusive interview with Rock FM. He told the station: “Blackpool is a huge… Read more »

Jonathan Ross & Gary Barlow Switch-On the Illuminations

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Celebrity broadcaster Jonathan Ross flicked the switch for Blackpool Illuminations in 2013, a different show as the event had been extended for a whole weekend! It even made national news that year after The Script had to cancel their appearance at the last minute. With only 48 hours notice, it was a huge challenge for Blackpool to find a replacement but they managed to do it in style by getting Gary Barlow to appear as the headline act. The Take That star, Gary Barlow, brought the Illuminations alive with an amazing show. Plus singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle performed as a special… Read more »

Elvis Costello and His Father Were Blackpool Favourites

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Elvis Costello has graced Blackpool with his performances on multiple occasions. On 13 June 2013, he appeared at the Blackpool Opera House as part of his “Revolver Tour.” This distinctive tour featured a giant spinning wheel that determined the setlist, allowing audience members to influence the selection of songs performed each night. He returned to the same venue on 9 March 2020, this time accompanied by The Imposters for their “Just Trust” tour, which highlighted tracks from their 2018 album Look Now, alongside timeless favourites from Costello’s expansive repertoire. Looking ahead, Costello and The Imposters are set to perform at… Read more »

Jimi Hendrix Plays Live at Blackpool Opera House

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ABC Odeon Cinema – 14 & 15 April 1967 Continuing with the UK package tour featuring The Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Californians, The Quotations, and MC Nick Jones; The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed two shows at the Odeon Cinema in Blackpool. Hendrix later said in an interview, “Although I wasn’t scared starting my first big tour, we did wonder how they would accept us, there being so many different acts and us probably the most extreme of all. In Blackpool, the police slipped Mitch and Noel through side doors and took me around the block five times… Read more »

Music Hall Tavern Becomes Apartment Block

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The building, originally a British Gas showroom and now a block of apartments, boasts a fascinating history. Aside from being the second version of the Music Hall Tavern, the other being at Yates Wine Lodge, the site also became home to the Joe Longthorne Theatre. The site underwent major redevelopment in 2018 and has since been completely renovated to provide 10 high-quality apartments. Four of these apartments offer stunning views of Blackpool Tower, the sea, and the distant fells. The block includes eight two-bedroom apartments, one 2.5-bedroom apartment, and a single one-bedroom apartment. All the apartments are equipped with brand… Read more »

Michael Harvey Teacher, Actor and Writer Arrives in Blackpool

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Blackpool lost one of its greatest treasures on 22 June 2024, a marvellous thinker and fountain of literary and theatrical knowledge, and always happy to share the wealth of his insight. One of his many remarkable talents was his ability to recite countless lines of great prose from Dickens to Wordsworth, or dialogue from great movies, plays or musicals. Michael was born in Oxford on 8 July 1935. His father was a percussionist in a theatre orchestra for all his working life, his mother a housewife; and happy to be that to care for Michael and his younger sister Margaret. His… Read more »