August 27, 2010 – 1:26 pm
As you can imagine I am invited to do many TV appearances including ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’. Even though I keen on turning down they keep offering more money and I am very flattered but I am sorry guys, love the program but it’s not for me.
The majority of the other offers I also turn down, but occasionally I accept and just recently of course I did ‘Celebrity Come Dine With Me’ but I am very happy with that one because I thought the show is quite funny.
Anything to do with topical news I accept; Sky News, BBC News and Newsday included. I have just finished a new show which I think is really good and it comes out in December this year so watch it. It’s called ‘Living The Lie’ and it consists of celebrity personalities talking to each other about their early lives and their roots to success and their personal views on life.
Some of the celebrities involved are Stephen Fry, Bill Wyman (ex Rolling Stones) and Joanna Lumley. My show consisted of me and the very famous Mr Howard Marks who is also known as Mr Nice. There are two reasons for that – Firstly it’s the name of the cult book he wrote in 1996 which is called Mr Nice, which is really worth reading and secondly it’s because he is an exceptionally nice chap. And believe me he has one hell of a story to tell…
In a few weeks the film of his life is released, and it’s called… guess what? “Mr Nice”! It’s going to be well advertised you should watch out for it and do what I am going to do and go and see it.
Anyway, the show comes out in December - so put that in your phone memory now as I am sure it will be worth watching. The whole series involves with the iconic actor Leslie Philips. But I can’t tell you much more because it’s all somewhat kind of secret at the moment.
Adam Ant - now how about this for a photo. Here is Adam Ant - the man who in the 80s was the epitome of the rock star in Adam And The Ants.
There was no better looking man in the music industry. His records went to No. 1 and his videos are absolute classics.
The one that really sticks in my mind is “Stand and Deliver”!
Around and about 1982, after Stringfellows had been open for two years (and by the way we have just celebrated our 30th birthday) Adam had huge hits with Prince Charming and Friend Or Foe. And on his first visit to my club he fell for one of my female star DJs - Mo.
They made one of the most glamorous couples in London and the paparazzi chased them everywhere.
Of course we’d see Adam in the club on a regular basis.
So the other day Adam rang up to see I was at the club that night. It so happened I was - but he didn’t make it. But he did the next night, and he ended up in Angels, but by then I was at my villa in Majorca.
That said, he didn’t miss me one little bit and made sweet Ant Music with the girls instead!
So if you’re reading this Adam, I’m back in London later this week, and we’d love to see you again!
There are times when it just seems only celebrities who are legends come into the club. And that might be true because here is another one. Vince Neil - the original singer with Mötley Crüe who also sang on their massive hit “Girls Girls Girls” which of course I use for the signature tune for both my clubs and have done since 1991 when I got my first girl club in New York.
So anyway back to the story, here is Vince Neil who came into the club last night with a beautiful lady on his arm called Elizabeth and as you can see in the photo he’s carrying a big ‘K’ Award. This was given to him by Kerrang! rock magazine to celebrate his inclusion in their legends’ Hall of Fame. Needless to say he had a few friends with him and spent the night partying. He told me he’s coming in again tonight.
So there you have it. While Mick Jagger decides to join the aristocracy and watches cricket on TV here’s Vince still doing his legendary rock star thing and as you can see he’s as handsome as ever.
Vince, you are without doubt one of my all time favourite rock stars.
Here he is! The man himself enjoying himself with the girl who became his favourite dancer of the night - Paris.
Surely but surely, there’s no one who hasn’t heard of Quincy Jones but just in case you haven’t here is a role call of all the famous names he has worked with: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Dean Martin, Patti Austin, Tevin Campbell, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Will Smith and many, many others.
Last time I met Quincy was in LA in 1991 when he was launching off a box set of his own music. At the time I was a good friend of Eddie Murphy and Eddie invited me to the launch party. Of course Stevie Wonder was there, and Rod Stewart.
An as you can see from this picture, Quincy enjoys his life to the full. Not only did he have Paris dance for him, he had a bunch of other dancers too. In fact the night became a Quincy Jones Night. They DJ’s played his music and he loved it, the girls loved it and all the guys in the club had a blast. Of course the Angels loved him but then again he was giving the girls £50 notes… what a guy.
For all you guys - this is me on last week’s ‘Top Gear’ where I made my cameo debut with Jeremy Clarkson. Sadly I didn’t get to drive anything really fast but I turned up in my own Porsche Carrera 4S - got out of it, posed for a few seconds and then pushed a Reliant Robin back on it’s wheels which Jeremy was driving and was supposedly trapped inside. Anyway the whole thing was lots of fun and just for the record Jeremy Clarkson has been to the club and he came with his wife and enjoyed a fantastic meal but to be honest that was a couple of years ago.
However, Richard Hammond has been a couple of times with a bunch of his friends and had a great time.
It just seems to me that everybody I have a photograph taken with in my clubs is a legend… but it’s the truth! And here is anther one.
Here’s me with Eddie Kidd. If you Google Eddie you’ll find everything you want to know about him but in a nut-shell he was the youngest and best motorbike stunt driver in the world. Even Evel Knievel, himself a legend, came into Stringfellows in the ’80s just to meet Eddie.
Also outside of the opening night of Stringfellows in 1980 the very next night Eddie was the very first celebrity I had my photo taken with. Just for the record the opening night had Elton John, Tim Rice (now Sir Tim), Patrick Mower and his then girlfriend Suzanne Danielle (at that time both of them huge stars and Patrick is now a big star in the UK soap Emmerdale) and Robert Powel (one time Jesus).
Anyway back to Eddie. Sadly Eddie had a very near fatal accident when he attempted to leap over a speeding car on his stunt bike. That didn’t end up so good and nearly killed him but luckily he lived though sadly never to be able to ride a motorbike ever again. But that hasn’t stopped him. The reason for this photograph is that Eddie was in with twenty of this friends to celebrate his stag night. This will be his third wedding. This time he is marrying his nurse, a very beautiful lady called Samantha Kirli.
So there you have it guys. Eddie Kidd - an inspiration to us all.
I am sure everybody knows by now that all the armed forces are welcome in my clubs. In fact we try very hard to make a big deal about this and if I am in the club I always make a point to come over and say hello to them individually. I get a kick out of the fact that these guys rate both my clubs Stringfellows and Angles as the best in the world. This time the boys are from HMS Sceptre.
Normally when our guys are in the club they usually tell me where they are off to Iran Afghanistan etc. But when it comes to the submariners - everything has to stay a secret.
Anyway - here is the commanding officer and some of his guys all dressed up in their full uniforms and can you believe it - they presented me with a gold plated medal which I shall cherish and it’s the only medal I have ever received.
Thank you guys and once again you are always welcome. Hope to see you soon.
Here’s a couple of photographs of me and one of my best friends in show business the legendary and yes, iconic Buddy Greco
Buddy is now at least a twice a year regular at Ronnie Scotts Jazz club in Soho. I went to see Buddy and his wife Lezlie Anders and as always a fantastic two hour show. Let me give you a little history. Buddy was the youngest member of the legendary Rat Pack. The Rat Pack of course was started by Frank Sinatra and included Peter Lawford. and of course my all time favorite Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Junior.
Yes, that’s how it was Buddy was right up there with these truly legendary names. And while Buddy doesn’t necessarily like to talk about it too much he was also involved with Marilyn Monroe.
During their stage act his wife Lezlie makes fun of the fact that Buddy has been married 5 times. But apart from being funny, Lezlie herself is a sensational singing star and right now they are on their way around the UK for a very special tour so if they come into your area whatever you do, make the effort and go and see their show because there is truly no one else doing anything like this any more.
Anyway, after the show they both came back to have dinner with me and they brought along one of their friends who also happens to be an incredible singer although he is only 28 years old and his name is Atila. I have seen this guy on stage too and Buddy’s right - this guy’s fantastic.
Anyway, when we arrive in the restaurant guess who is already sitting there eating his new favorite - Dover Sole (last week it was rack of lamb - week before that it was sirloin steak) the one and only WBA World Heavyweight Champion David Haye. He graciously came over and said hello to Buddy.
Not every star that walks in the club wants their photographs taken and that’s ok by us, but they don’t mind letting you know that they are big fans of both our clubs. Here are just a few of them.
Starting off with one of our all time regulars - international star footballer Sean Wright Phillips. Of course Sean is on the England team but the night before he flew out to join the world cup squad in Africa he partied happily with a bunch of his best friends in Angels.
The French superstar DJ David Guetta, famous England cricketer Freddy Flintoff, famous pop and opera singer Darius. The world skateboard champion Tony Hawk, the guy who invented the Wombles and wrote at least another thousand hit records - Mike Batt. My favorite all time DJ TV comedy star Kenny Everett is no longer with us but his best buddy is and it was good to see her in the club, Cleo Roccas.
Incredibly Successful rock band The Darkness disbanded but Bassist Frankie still comes in every so often and then last night the lady who runs Pineapple Studios Debbie More partied with a few of her best friends.
Oh, I better not forget one of the most famous Basketball players ever in the whole of of the history of the USA Kareem Abdul Jabbar who of course played for the LA Lakers during their championship run in the 1970s. And in 1996 won an award for one of the best players in US history…
And the news gets better, Kareem came in with his manageress who immediately booked Angels in Soho for a special VIP night for the whole of the LA Lakers when they come to the UK in October.
PS. Forgot to tell you, Bruce Grobbelaar ex-superstar goalie for Liverpool.
We all have our superstars and legends that mean a lot to us and here is one of mine.
This is Tony Crane. I first met Tony in 1962 (or thereabouts).
Having just booked the Beatles for £65 I was told by Paul McCartney that what ever I did I had to book the Merseybeats. In his opinion they were the best group in Liverpool at the time. And so I did. And with a nice stroke of luck when they played in my club, their very 1st record ‘Sorrow’ hit the top 5 (I’m not sure if it made No 1 but it should have done).
The point is that he and his co-singer Billy Kinsley were two of the best looking guys who I have ever seen on the stage. (OK I’m talking about my first club The Black Cat Club in Sheffield).
They went on to have a fabulous successful run along with another top band that I rated called The Searchers who’s 1st disc was Sweets for my Sweet. I did the same thing with them. I booked them and when they played for me their record was definitely No 1.
But back to the Merseybeats. As you can see from the photo Tony is still a very handsome man even at 66 years old. So when he walked in the club last night it made my night. This guy and his group was definitely the Mersey Sound of the 60s.
