BILLY FURY

       IN THOUGHTS OF BILLY FURY WKD 12TH – 14TH FEBRUARY 2010

After picking up nutty neil from Liverpool airport [who lives and works in spain 6 nights a week] we arrived at the metropole hotel’ blackpool Thursday evening to settle in’ relax and get ready for the weekends events. And as i have said previously more and more people seem arriving on thurs. it’s always good to catch up and talk to everyone before the weekend starts. chris and eunice parsons unfortunatly couldnt join us this year as they were away and sarahlea wouldnt be arriving until saturday morning for a few hours with our daughter. it seemed very strange at this moment
after we had greeted everyone and settled into our rooms neil and i agreed to meet in the bar for a few beers. As we arrived at the bar in the main ballroom we met up with many billy fury fans and regulars of the fury weekenders from all over the uk. The weekend starts here said dj’ nutty Neil Williams and soon we were joined by phil [shaky] shakespeare our video genious. i soon relaxed a little with a nice jd and coke. aahhhh.
Loads of new billy videos for us all to enjoy. getting better and better.. again the hotels regular acts had finished at 10.30 pm and people were just sat around talking. So for our early starters for the weekend neil plugged in his decks and the place was rockin. Everybody who was due to leave the next morning asked for leaflets for november as it was the most fun they had had all week. As we had heared many times before.What a start.
After setting up the pa and The big screen and projector , again You could feel the excitement in the air. Everybody was excited about the weekend ahead.we just knew as always It was gonna be great.
Friday morning 9am on the dot and already people are in the ballroom arranging their seating and singing along to the many hits of billy being piped through the hotels speaker system.
as always The backdrops and pictures are placed on the stage and all around the room. the stage looked fantastic. time for a brew and a few more piccys. Soon we will be ready to rock. Mo coopers gear stall is in place and the persuaders arrive while neil is already playing some great fury classics. including many rare billy recordings. the stage is now filled with musical instruments and Billy large as life on the big screen and the room is soon full with excited fans. 4pm the stage is set’ everyone has their room keys and are now gathered in the ballroom as I welcome everyone’ and go through the weekends events with everyone and make sure they all have a programme. As always introducing neil and phil to the fans and along with a complimentary glass of champagne’ As always we toast britains greatest rocker‘billy fury’

after dinner its now 7pm and neil and phil back stage and playing many of billys great songs and hits’ and many by his rock‘n’ roll friends. while actually watching billy’ eddie cochran’ cliff and elvis ect on the big screen’even laurel and hardy dancing to the king. its like billy and co are back with us. the fans are on the dance floor. As i have said before If a song is played with no visuals a montage of rare and many unseen billy fury photos are shown on the screen.
The jivers are on the floor and the place is rockin’ myself and the persuaders – joe, peter, chris and dave are backstage going over the set and now its time. Neil introduces Colin Paul and the persuaders as the intro kicks in and were off. Hit after hit... last night was made for love, id never find another you, maybe tomorrow, running around, like ive never been gone’,run to my loving arms, that’s love, once upon a dream’ collette’ turn your lamp down low’ im lost without you’ halfway to paradise and more. i introduce billys ' mam to the audience and again how sad we all were that albie was unwell and unable to make the weekend again. Get well soon albie you are always in our thoughts. over 25 top fury songs and all classics All to soon we are off stage and ready for a beer or three.
I have said many times before’ Any musician will tell you there are a lot of chords in these songs and they need to be played right. So a big thanks to dave’ chris’ joe and peter. A great job very well done.

Nutty neil is back on stage playing the rock ‘n’ roll giants and then its a much welcome return to graham holly. graham specialises in buddy holly and the floor is packed. Everybody singing along to the hits of buddy and the giants of rock ‘n’ roll. After more rockin’ billy tracks from neil on the big screen its time for some great billy fury prizes won in the raffle we are ready to rock some more. secret love’20 flight rock, walk the line revisited’a thousand stars’ unchained melody, just pretend,sweet little rock ‘n’ roller, Johnny b goode’nothig shakin and much more. Top Billy fury tribute artiste rob dee had booked in for the weekend and i asked him to join us onstage for a great vertion of ‘in thoughts of you’ thanks rob. Our part in Friday evenings entertainment is over as neil and phil take us into the early hours.

Saturday 10.00am the billy fury 'in thoughts of you fan club' have set up shop with as always some fantastic memorabillia' shirts' cd's dvd's posters/photos ect.
10 am sarahlea arrives with her mum lynn, sister tracey and our new baby daughter grace. Very soon grace seems to have her own fan club. Sarahlea and i would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their cards, presents and best wishes for our lovely daughter.
11.00am and once again lots people are gathered in the ballroom for sarahlea’s jive lessons. This is so popular and everybody is soon on the dance floor jiving away to billys rock ‘n’ roll classics.

At 12.30 this rare sunny but cold day is left free for everybody to take in the sights and shops of blackpool or stay around the hotel and watch billy fury movies and documentarys on the big screen.

After dinner the ball room is packed and ready for this evenings festivities. mo and bob coopers gear stall is attracting many people and with the help of flo shaw' many drape jackets' billy fury shirts and 5o's dresses are sold.
Its not long before neil introduces us back on stage for our sixties rock ‘n’ roll show.
shaking all over, bridge over troubled water, fools errand, girl of my best friend, pretend. to name a few. and very soon it was time to introduce back by public demand the legendary Merseyside dj/rocker Kenny Johnson. Kenny was with us last November and provided a great rockin set. Different from November. Everybody was on the dance floor and the drinks were flowing. You could feel a great atmosperev in the air. I just love these wkds. Another raffle and more tunes from neil and phil before the lights dim and myself and the persuaders are back on stage. Rock around the clock,whole lotta shakin from peter then the intro to slowdown and we didn’t stop for a couple of hours. Jealousy, move it, do ya wanna dance, only make believe. say mama, wondrous place. Again rob dee joined us and performed great vertions of running around and maybe tomorrow. I mentioned about albie [billys brother] being poorly and paid tribute to him with his classic hit ‘helpless. Get well soon mate. Love from us all. Its not the same without you. all to soon another fabulous evening was drawing to a close. Time for an encore with 3 billy fury classics’ every body in the room with their arms in the air singing along.
Then neil and phil back on stage rockin everybody until around 4.30 am.
Where do they get their energy?

Sunday morning 10.30 am nutty neil back on the decks and everybody getting ready for the jive competition. 3 fantastic couples who receive as always a fabulous billy fury trophy. As we thank neil and phil for a great job over the weekend’ and again for all the visuals and time and effort going into producing this fantastic visual video jukebox what a team. As i have said before, its was like bringing billy back home. neil and phil are huge billy fury fans’ and it really does show.
Event organiser diane’ took to the stage to thank everybody for coming’ and then thanking all the acts’ and thanking all for being at this legendary weekend. She announced bookings were now being taken for november. then presented jean Wycherley with a bunch of flowers. Followed by a donation from mo cooper to the lipa wards.
As we know Its a great idea to keep billy’s name alive and introduce him to a younger generation
I took to the stage for the final time this wkd to perform my solo tribute to billy and friends
be mine tonight’ turn around look at me, aint giving up nothing, gonna type a letter,pretty little love song and halfway to paradise amongst others. I then invited billys mam to join me onstage. she gracefuly accepts. jean sings a haunting vertion of billys 'in thoughts of you' the place just erupts with tears and cameras. beautiful and amazing. well done jean and thankyou so much x
Soon it was time to invite members of the audience onto the stage to sing their favourite billy song. Special thanks to rob dee’ Maurice, reece And a great big thankyou to all who got on the stage to give us more great billy fury songs. The booking desk is open for November and a large que has formed. Nobody wants to miss out on our next event.

it was time to advertise harrys event at the sunnside in a few weeks and again something fantastic to look foward to. rob dee introduced me to the guys from creeping bentgrass and we talked about meeting up on the friday night when rob and the guys are playing. its gonna be great and i hope to see you all there.

just enough time left to advertise that on billys 70th birthday on saturday 17th april. the billy fury fan club and billys mam will be meeting at the statue at 1pm. this in now instead of the day after [sunday] they thought it would be better on the actual day and i agree. entertainment for the afternoon will be provided by yours truly with a special invitation for you to perform your fave billy fury song. other special guest are planned. more news on this very soon.

all too soon its time for dinner as I dismantle the pa’ backdrops’ posters’ pictures. Load it into the van and after saying our goodbyes and looking forward to november its time for home as we all look back on a fantastic weekend.

A great big thank you to you all for making it such a very special and popular weekend. thats down to you the fans of billy fury.
as always a special thanks to the management and staff at the metropole hotel - great service and wonderful food - and [ blackpool holidays ] organisers diane wardle and june roth.

This weekend is a must for any billy fury fan of the late 50s early 60’s. Hope see you in november 2010.
For booking forms contact blackpool holidays on 01253-722300
I would also like to say thankyou to the billy fury fan club. thanks to vic, jenny, and margaret for all their hard work and part in keeping billys memory alive. the fan club souveniers were fantastic. as always we look forward to seeing you all at the next one.

Ps - it looks like in November we will also have a billy fury tv channel [btv] piped through to all tv sets in all rooms. Showing movies – documentaries – concerts ect of billy fury and friends. This just gets better and better


my hero my friend.
You were the star of a whole generation,And you truly led the way,A star who’s massive influence,Is still acknowledged today, Your voice gave all it had to give,With your heart, mind, body and soul,You are Billy Fury,The gentle king of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Why am I here, what did I do,I will tell you a story, we all know to be true,I walked in your footsteps and sang all your songs,I learned from the master, we all sang along. I know why I’m here and I know what to do,to thank you for the memories, and your great music too. Your style, your stance, I took it all in,You gave us so much, your lights never dim. So today I am here to give thanks to you,From one humble singer to another, my whole life through,My hero, my friend, my uplifting song when I’m low,so paradise bound, and on with the show.

COLIN PAUL