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A rock'n'roll goodbye
Adam Moss20/ 8/2007
STARS of TV and music turned out in force as the city said a rock’n’roll goodbye to Mr Manchester Tony Wilson at his funeral today.
Tony, who put Manchester on the world map with the famous Hacienda club and Factory Records – which spawned bands like Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays – was buried at Southern Cemetery after an emotional service at the Hidden Gem Church in the city centre.
The guest list at his funeral service read like a who’s who of Manchester celebrities with former TV colleagues like Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, Bob Greaves and Lucy Meacock from Granada, rubbing shoulders with music business faces like New Order’s Peter Hook, Andy Rourke from The Smiths, Rowetta and Shaun Ryder from Happy Mondays, Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets and other famous faces like journalist and singer John Robb, TV and radio presenter Terry Christian, former business partner Alan Erasmus and acclaimed ‘Factory’ designer Peter Saville.
Fame
Yet despite the fame of the mourners the service was a very normal Catholic requiem mass lasting just over an hour with readings by a few old friends and former colleagues.
Tributes came in the form of flowers from the great and good of Manchester and beyond. Wreaths included a huge message made out of hundreds of white daisies which simply red “From Liverpool With Love.”
There were also floral tributes from Sir Alex Ferguson and the players and staff at Manchester United, music bible the NME, Alan McGee – the man who first discovered Manchester band Oasis and Coronation Street and Shameless actor Chris Bisson.
Pay tribute at our online book of condolence .
One floral tribute bore the words: “To Manchester’s true legend – your legacy lives on. From Michelle and David, friends and followers from Blackpool and Preston.”
One time Granada colleague Richard Madeley paid tribute to the man they called Mr Manchester after the service.
He said: “The service was one of the most emotional I have ever seen. Tony always had absolute self belief. He was so confident but he was also a very good, thoroughly decent man. “He celebrated others people success almost more than de did his own and he will be greatly missed by his friends and this city.”
The service was conducted by Catholic priest, Canon Denis Clinch, at Tony’s favourite church, the Hidden Gem, off John Dalton Street in the city centre.
Both Tony’s children Isabel and Oliver were baptised there and Tony used to pop into the church regularly to have theological discussions with Canon Clinch. After the service, watched by a large crowd of members of the public, friends and family travelled across town to Southern Cemetery, where Tony was buried and then onto One Central Street bar for his wake.
Pay tribute at our online book of condolence .
Read more about Tony's remarkable life via the links on the right of this page.
Most recent 2 of 17 user comments
This genius - and real ones are a very rare breed - helped found some of my favourite bands (Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, etc.), proving that, with just some genuine talent and a 'vision', you don't need to be a huge, profit orientated corporation to make it.
Tony, you have left a (relatively) dull - and usually predictable - music world behind, which will now sadly miss the 'spark' you brought to it over the years.
The fact I say all of this coming from Leeds - although lived in Manchester briefly in the past - I think further strengthens my sincere belief of just what good he did - why couldn't we Loiners have a TW?! Kaiser Chiefs - err, who?!
AHW - RIP.
'Caressing the marble and stone, Love that was special for me, The waste in the fever I heat, How I wish you were here with me now.'
Ian Curtis, 'In a Lonely Place', 1980.
22/08/2007 at 22:41
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He was a genuine national treasure, and will be greatly missed by all of us who love the feisty Northern spirit that makes Manchester the capital of self-assured, unpretentious innovation.
23/08/2007 at 10:00