Tag: Music

Pauline Moran in The She Trinity

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Pauline Moran, born on 26 August 1947 in Blackpool, is an actress, presenter, and astrologer, best known for portraying Miss Felicity Lemon in the long-running British television series Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Moran’s acting career spans several decades, and she has built a reputation as a talented stage performer, though her film and television appearances are also noteworthy. She trained at prestigious institutions, including the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), preparing for a successful career in the performing arts. In addition to her acting work, Moran is a professional astrologer, having practiced since 1987, blending… Read more »

Little Boots on Later… with Jools Holland

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Little Boots, the stage name of Victoria Hesketh, made her television debut on Later… with Jools Holland on 7 November 2008. Her invitation to perform on the show came after she gained attention by sharing her music on MySpace, marking the start of her rise to prominence. Born in Blackpool and raised in Thornton, Hesketh is a singer-songwriter and DJ with a dynamic career spanning solo projects and earlier work as a member of the band Dead Disco. As a solo artist, she has released four albums to date: Hands (2009), Nocturnes (2013), Working Girl (2015), and Tomorrow’s Yesterdays (2022),… Read more »

Alfie Boe Switches on the Lights

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Alfie Boe headlined the Blackpool Illuminations Switch-On concert on 31 August 2018 at the Tower Festival Headland, drawing thousands of visitors to celebrate the launch of the town’s world-famous illuminations. But there’s a bigger connection, the fact he was born in Blackpool. He’s the youngest in a family of nine children and was brought up in nearby Fleetwood. He is of Irish and Norwegian descent and his mother and father named him after the Italian name of Pope John XXIII. He attended St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s School and Cardinal Allen Catholic High School in Fleetwood. His earliest musical memories were… Read more »

Alfie Boe & Michael Ball Album Launch

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On Friday, 28 October 2022, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe visited Blackpool to promote their album Together in Vegas, their fifth collaborative studio effort, released by Decca Records. The album achieved significant success, reaching number three on the UK Albums Chart. A few years earlier, Boe had also appeared in Blackpool for the Lights Switch-On concert. A clip below shows the duo at Viva Vegas during their promotional tour for the new album. Alfie Boe, the youngest of nine siblings, was born in Blackpool and raised in Fleetwood. Of Irish and Norwegian heritage, his parents named him after Pope John… Read more »

Chris Lowe Back in Blackpool

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Chris Lowe, along with Neil Tennant, his partner in the iconic synth-pop duo The Pet Shop Boys, gave a one-night performance at Funny Girls in Blackpool on 6 September 2024. The pair, who formed their groundbreaking musical act in 1981, continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Lowe was born in Blackpool in 1959 and continues to show his affection for his hometown, as highlighted in a video of him playing It’s a Sin on the Wurlitzer organ at the Tower Ballroom. He has also supported local music initiatives, notably donating a state-of-the-art keyboard to Blackpool Music School. Lowe’s connection to Blackpool… Read more »

Tommy Steele at The Grand Theatre

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All round entertainer Tommy Steele starred as Dr Dolittle at the Grand Theatre. The photo was taken on 20 February 2008 out in front of the theatre. Tommy Steele brought a lot to the Doctor Doolittle role, which made perfect sense as he’s starred in so many shows that have been good for the whole family. From a title role in 1960s musical Hans Christian Andersen, via Half a Sixpence, to his stint in Scrooge, the showman is the embodiment of classic family entertainment. The cheeky cockney was perfect for a national tour of Doctor Doolittle, the smash-hit musical about the vet who… Read more »

Cliff Richard at the ABC Theatre

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Cliff Richard and The Shadows are an iconic British musical duo who not only dominated the charts but also became prominent figures in the world of cinema during the 1960s. Together, they appeared in six feature films, establishing a genre known as the “Cliff Richard musical,” which helped cement Richard’s status as a major cultural figure in Britain. Their film career began with Serious Charge in 1959, but it was their later films such as The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life, and Finders Keepers that truly captured the public’s imagination. These films were incredibly popular, and their blend of… Read more »

Marlene Dietrich at Opera House

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On 7 July 1955, legendary actress Marlene Dietrich flew into Blackpool to perform two shows at the Opera House. Shortly after her arrival at Squires Gate Airport, she requested a tour of the town and was photographed in front of the iconic Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. However, this wasn’t her first visit to the town; Dietrich had been there two decades earlier, in the summer of 1934, when she experienced an amusing and somewhat frustrating incident—she lost an antique pearl earring while visiting the Pleasure Beach. Interestingly, more than 70 years later in 2007, a construction team draining… Read more »

Ma Kellys Cabaret Showboat

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After undergoing a complete overhaul in both ownership and refurbishment, the iconic Showboat re-opened its doors in August 2017, bringing with it a fresh, exciting atmosphere and a commitment to offering one of the most unique entertainment experiences in Blackpool. There are more Ma Kellys on the Fylde Coast, one of which is the former Foxhall Pub. Widely regarded as one of the most exhilarating and amusing FREE shows on the Fylde Coast, the Showboat Showstopper delivers a thrilling evening of live entertainment that is impossible to beat. Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday throughout the season, and on select winter… Read more »

Empire, Hippodrome, ABC Theatre & Syndicate

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Empire and Hippodrome The site originally housed the Empire variety theatre and ballroom, designed by John Dent Harker, which opened its doors on 4 July 1895. ABC Theatre Associated British Cinemas (ABC) acquired the former Hippodrome Theatre during April 1929. Although plans to rebuild it were underway in 1939, these were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. The theatre eventually closed in 1960, with most of the structure demolished to make way for the new ABC Theatre. The new venue, built within the remnants of the old building, featured stalls and circle seating for 1,934 guests along with… Read more »