Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007

Subject: Obit: George Melly
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:16 AM

Just spotted online.


5 Jul, 5:23 AM
Jazz singer and author George Melly has died at his London home, his wife Diana said on Thursday. He was 80.

He was always an entertaining character, witty, irreverent and full of humour.

Quack!
Geoff.

Subject: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:16 AM

George Melly, the likeable jazz singer and eccentric, has died. He came over as a cheerful, generous spirited man to me. I hope he is at peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:18 AM

Sorry Geoff, we cross posted... I am sure a Joe clone will fix it.

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Threads combined.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:31 AM

Another true original. R.I.P.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: Folkiedave
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:38 AM

One of his party pieces was a version of the Lobster Song. I was lucky enough to see him do this as an anchor with the Feetwarmers.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:44 AM

A true jazz star. I may be wrong, but wasn't he a patron of Brecon Jazz Festival?

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: GUEST,Dr Price
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 05:54 AM

The Official George Melly website:
http://www.georgemelly.com/
(sorry, but I can't do blue clickies - I bet Joe's getting mighty fed up with me.)

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No, changing URLs into links makes me feel useful....
[grin]
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: Cats at Work
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:03 AM

When I worked in the Theatre George Melly was always a regular on the bill. A consumate performer. He'll be missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:42 AM

An all-time great, with a true appreciation of the blues. I was lucky enough to go to one of his Christmas party gigs at Ronnie Scott's, which for a long time were fixtures on the Soho live scene. And if you haven't caught up with his books yet, they're hilarious, and tick a lot of boxes with those of us who have lived out of the back of a 15cwt van in more basic touring days. 'Owning Up' is the one to start with.

It's a greyer world now.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: Trevor
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:43 AM

I got 'chatted-up' by him once in a hotel in Stratford!

Loved his style (music and eccentricity that is, not his chat up line!)

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:45 AM

Guardian obituary.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: Raggytash
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 06:58 AM

I was lucky enough to see him at Marsden Jazz festival a few years ago, got in by blagging my way to do the lighting for the show. A fantastic night by a fantastic performer, in my mind one of the truly great performers of all time. Rest in peace George, you gave so much to so many.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 08:03 AM

I've never liked the song "Frankie and Johnny" but George's OTT version was something to behold. All his autobiographical books are definitely worth reading, and especially "Owning Up" which paints a marvelous picture of the post-war trad-jazz scene in Britain.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: GUEST,Bob
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 08:34 AM

Ah one of natures greats. My father was in the Merchant Navy with him.
Accepted his illness with great dignity.

Unlike Roy Castles, he praised the clubs he worked in and gave him a decent living. No winging and crying from this great character about smoke filled clubs.

God bless you Georgie boy

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 08:46 AM

I don't think it is whingeing to complain that other people are forcing you to take their drugs.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 09:03 AM

Saw him many times over the years, sadly the last time a couple of years ago his illnesses were taking their toll but he did more than most to keep the prewar jazz blues alive-especially the Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey repertoire.

RtS

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Flash Company
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 09:42 AM

They call me Good Time George..... and boy, did he have a good time!
Remember reading in a book by Jim Godber about his appearance with the Mick Mulligan Band at Pentonville Prison. George wound up the first half of the show with 'Frankie & Johnny' and kicked off part two with 'Send me to the 'lectric chair' both with extravagant death scenes. That was a long time before Johnny Cash at San Quentin.
A dear friend of ours, (widowed elderly lady), recently read his three books of biography. She loved them. Although she did say 'Isn't he RUDE!!!!!'
RIP

Flash C

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: BanjoRay
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 10:04 AM

I've had two of his books for a long time - Rum, Bum and Concertina and Owning Up, and they're wonderful, especially if you were into the trad jazz scene in the 50s and 60s. He's made me laugh many times over the years, and I share his deep love of Bessie Smith - I'll miss him.
Ray

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: goatfell
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 10:12 AM

A great man, I just loved his suits RIP

Tom

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Gulliver
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 10:15 AM

A real character, RIP. Are there any songs about him?

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 12:39 PM

That's sad news... the man was one of a kind. A lot of things got broken the day they made him!

LTS

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: Captain Ginger
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 12:46 PM

I don't think it is whingeing to complain that other people are forcing you to take their drugs.
I think George's ploy was to have consumed more drugs than the rest of his audience put together!
As has been said, a great showman, a wonderfully rounded human being and a hugely warm person. The world is a little greyer now.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: GUEST,DrJohn
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 12:59 PM

A great man who'll be much missed. I remember buying his EP "George Melly Sings Doom" when I was a teenager years ago; now lost unfortunately. An expert on another of my passions, surrealist art.

A great drinker too!

Sad news but he had a good innings.

DocJohn

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer)
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 01:24 PM

I've got his biographical books and re-read them once a year. I'm sory he's gone.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: Rog Peek
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 07:04 PM

The world will be a much duller place without him!

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 07:09 PM

I loved that guy. His books. His music. His journalism. His performance. his surrealism.

I particularly love his interpretation of Cole Porter's Lets Do IT! he used to bunny hop across the stage, despite his great age and ludicrous physical condition, as a graphic illustration of the line:-

EVEN COURAGEOUS KANGAROOS DO IT!

Now that is commitment. You wouldn't find any of these bloody old farts singing trad music that would PERFORM so vividly. They think they've they've made an artistic statement if they take their finger from one ear to the other, and smirk occasionally.


I did get an offer to do a gig with him from Paul Mackenzie of radio Derby. I was a life long admirer of George's salacious reading of Jelly Roll Morton's Winding Boy. That and Ian Buchanan's masterful guitar transposition of the same song - sold me on folk music a million years ago.....

see the album notes on my website for my first album, if this intrigues you. I believe believe basically that folk music is about living people, rather than rubbish from some folk museum.

However I was supply teaching so I never got to work with my hero. No doubt if i knew how the Arts Council worked , I would never have been in that situation of financial shit. They DO pay you to go round village halls singing songs on a subject - a bit like a twelve year old's classroom project, I've been told.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: shepherdlass
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:58 PM

So sad to hear he's gone. A true one-off, superb performer, huge personality, wonderful writer and a great advocate of both jazz and surrealist art. I only met him the once, after a show, but he was exactly as I expected - witty, charming and only ever-so-slightly the worse for drink.

OK, it was a good innings for a man who made Keith Richards look quite moderate (to read about this, the 3 autobiographical books mentioned above are FANTASTIC), but it would have been good if he could have gone on for ever.

RIP Good time George

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 04:57 PM

A copper-bottomed true original, one of a kind. Amazing entertainer and performer, full of heart and the joy of life, wicked sense of humour and one of the few remaining Dada-ists to boot. He WAS the original "canary with circles under his eyes". He leaves a big hole, but not in my memories.

Give'em hell, George.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 07:07 PM

Heard the news on the way back from France today on Radio4's Last Word, which gave him a good spread. A great entertainer I shall miss. And Owning Up remains one of my favourite reads.

Mick

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: GUEST,Zoe Bremer
Date: 07 Jul 07 - 11:31 AM

I'll never forget his concert at Kew Gardens in the late 1980s when he sang "Was I Drunk, Was He Handsome and Did Mama Give Me Hell". I think that says it all.

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 09 Jul 07 - 09:47 AM

Last Saturday's jazz programme on Radio Norfolk, hosted by Paul Barnes, included a tribute to George.

To find it click on the link and then look for "Paul Barnes - With blues and jazz for the Eastern counties".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/norfolk.shtml

Subject: RE: Obit: George Melly (UK Jazz singer) 5 July 2007
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 30 Jul 07 - 09:15 AM

Reading some of the letters to UK papers with George memories reminds me of our favourite Melly Moment.
We went to see him once at a London venue which had been a strip club and was about to be reconverted back to a theatre. He & the Feetwarmers did a Sunday concert. The band played his introduction and a large "birdcage" descended from the flies bearing George camping it up ( it was 30 years ago but I seem to remember a feather boa!). He stepped out up to the mike and as the cage ascended again he gestured to it and said, wistfully: "It's still warm" !

RtS