Inspiration

Today there is the saddest of news with the passing of Tony Wilson.

If ever there was a an inspiration for the path that Ugly Man took it is that man. He was a huge influence on my life. As an adolescent I was transfixed by him as the brash young newsreader/anchor on our local TV news. This was 4 or so years before his love of music hit our consciousness. He was just the living embodiment of cool - he didn't give a shit and was all the better for it against the likes of Bob Greaves and Bob Smithies - steady middle aged eddies.

When he got going on the music, he genuinely created something that has paid back his adopted city a million times - he was from Salford and intensely proud of it. By centring his musical consciousness around Manchester he created the coolest city in the UK - ask the students - ask the foreign visitors. Manchester isn't Barcelona but we don't have the weather, that's all.

I had the good fortune to meet him on many occasions although I could never say we were associates. Although on one occasion at "in the city" he dramatically traversed the foyer of The Midland Hotel and warmly greeted me. I was 10 feet tall. Tony Wilson wants to talk to me. We chatted for a while and he went off - busy man. I felt it a special moment - one to cherish.

So he is wherever people go now once the trials of this mortal coil cease and I sincerely hope that after he has started work on Ian Curtis's celestial solo project he has a look at Bryan Glancy as project number 2. "Wilson's a fan" Bryan was ever saying.

I received the news last night via a text from my good friend Frank Sidebottom, which only brought me happy memories of Frank's routine berating Wilson for adopting the moniker Anthony H as opposed to plain Tony in the 90's. " That's stupid.... that's Like Tony Tiger calling himself "Anthony H Tiger" . Frosties always make me laugh now

So rest in peace Mr Wilson