Rock Atlas writer looking for help to find music legends connected to region

IT is a well-known fact that Rod Temperton, who wrote Michael Jackson's Thriller, was born in Cleethorpes, and that the world's best-selling single, Candle In The Wind, was written by Lincolnshire lad Bernie Taupin.

And now, a knowledgeable author is requesting all rock fans to help him find music legends who are connected to North East Lincolnshire and the surrounding area.

David Roberts is producing the second edition of Rock Atlas, which contains plaques, venues, statues, album cover photo locations and even gravestones around Britain of the great and good in music.

He said: "My favourite monument is the Richmond Park bench in London, commemorating musician Ian Dury's life, and it plays recordings of his hits and plays an interview with the great man.

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"It's solar-powered and you can plug in your own headphones to listen while sitting on the carved bench inscribed with the words 'Reasons To Be Cheerful!'

"I'm also very fond of the statue of Jimi Hendrix on the Isle of Wight, and John Lennon's childhood home in Liverpool is an incredible place to visit.

"So far I've no entries for Grimsby and I wondered if readers have any nominations.

"I've tried researching the Skinners Arms from Elton John's song Grimsby, but the pub doesn't seem to exist, so I'm banking on some readers to give me a couple of worthy locations and some stories behind them."

David was editor of Britain's best-selling music book The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles and Albums for a decade before working on his own projects.

"I've been interested in music since my teenage years in the 1960s. I grew up in the best decade for music," he said.

"The Beatles, The Kinks and The Who were my musical education.

"I've been lucky enough to meet a number of my heroes or interview them, from Michael Jackson to Bob Geldof. The second edition of Rock Atlas is really a new, improved version of the first. It will include some of the towns and cities not featured in the first book, but it will contain all the original, best facts.

"There must be something in the water in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area, and Lincolnshire too, with a variety of rock legends already known to come from there.

"Rock and roll singer Joseph Roger – aka Joe Brown – was born in Swarby, in southern Lincolnshire, and he has presented a radio series for BBC Radio 2 and appeared on the West End stage alongside Dame Anna Neagle.

"The book is a real labour of love for me. However, I hadn't realised just how many people would be interested in a book about music locations.

"I've had so much great feedback from people up and down the country about the current edition, and I felt it was only fair to add their ideas for new entries to a second, expanded edition for next year."

Find out more

Visit the Rock Atlas page at www.facebook.com/rockatlas or look inside the first book at www.amazon.co.uk and search 'Rock Atlas.' E-mail David with your rock legend links to poppublishing@gmail.com – and don't forget to let us know about them too! E-mail newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

Some of the famous names from our area

- Steve Currie, was part of the original Rumble Band and later went on to play bass guitar for T Rex. He died in April 1981, in a car accident near the village of Val Da Parra, in Portugal, where he was living.

- Rod Temperton, born in Humberston, was part of 1970s disco band Heatwave and wrote major UK and US hit singles such as Boogie Nights and Always and Forever. Rod then went on to write Thriller for Michael Jackson. He also wrote other songs for Michael Jackson and contributed a couple of songs to Karen Carpenter’s last album. He has also worked with famous record producer Quincy Jones.

- Bernie Taupin, a former Market Rasen schoolboy, is best known as the songwriter behind many of Elton John’s biggest hits. Elton was best man at his wedding to Maxine Frebelman at Holy Road RC Church, Market Rasen, on April 27, 1971.

- Robert Wyatt, who lives in Louth, was a founding member of Soft Machine and a solo artist in his own right. In 1973 at a party in London, he fell from a fourth floor window and was paralysed from the waist down. His back catalogue has recently been re-released.