Item from thursdays Northern Echo.

Northern Echo



"European tour to go ahead in memory of lead singer John
By Jim McTaggart
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MUSICAL TRIBUTE: John Wright with his dog, Stanley
MORE than 50 concerts arranged by folk singer John Wright before his sudden death are still going ahead because so many fans want to pay tribute to him.

He was booked to perform with his three-man band in Germany, Holland and at many venues in Britain before he died in February at the age of 60 at his home in Barnard Castle.

There are so many requests to hear his songs that his widow, Barbara, has announced that the band will fulfil all engagements, with guitarist Pete Abbott singing in his place.

Mrs Wright said: "Usually when a singer passes away, his gigs are all cancelled. But the response from the public has been so great that we are going ahead with everything.

"That in itself is a huge tribute to John.

"He always said he wanted his music to live on after his death. I know this is what he would have wished. He treated his audiences like his family, and now his vast family want to pay their respects to him."

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The trio, still known as the John Wright Band, has given five concerts so far, and will give the sixth at Darlington Arts Centre at 8pm next Thursday. They will then tour the UK, followed by a tour of Germany in October and Holland in November.

They finish each gig by playing a record of Mr Wright singing one of his favourites, Silver Thunderbird, and hanging his dark brown trilby on the microphone stand.

Mrs Wright said: "They do this as a wonderfully moving tribute to John. They walk quietly off stage, leaving the last word to him, and the audiences find it very touching."

A concert due to take place at Frosterley Village Hall, in County Durham, was cancelled shortly after his death, but has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 31.

Apart from Mr Abbott, other regular band members were champion fiddler Gregor Borland, harmonica player Fraser Speirs and Joe Wright (no relation), who plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar.

Three of the four will take part in each concert.

Mrs Wright had been married to her husband, a former cavalryman in the Army and later a shepherd, for only a month when he died, but had been his manager for several years.

He said he moved to Barnard Castle because he loved looking round its neighbouring farmland and could get easy access to motorways and airports when he set off on tours."