Goodtime George

With my finger on the pulse on new music I just can't let the passing of Mr George Melly go uncelebrated. I was lucky enough to see him once, back in the days of Ronnie Scotts on Broad Street (Birmingham) before it became a 'lap dancing' club. It was during his John Chilton's Feetwarmers era, and he was a giant bear of a man. I remember that he had the ability to make almost every word drip with innuendo (the secret of any truly great jazz / blues singer) and relished playing songs that gave him as many chances as possible to raise his eyebrows in mock shock at the sheer filth of it all.

Anyway, from what little I know of him he seems to have had one of the fullest lives you could ever hope to lead - oodles of sex, drugs and rock n'roll (did you know he once recorded with The Stranglers? No, neither did I).

RIP George.