Georgie Fame (Leigh)

Georgie Fame (b. Clive Powell, Saturday, June 26, 1943, 1 Cotton Street, Westleigh, Leigh, Lancashire, England) was a famous singer who played the piano and the Hammond B3 organ, who also lead a number of bands.

Fame (Powell) was the son of James Powell, a cotton spinner in a textile mills and Mrs. Mary-Anne Powell (d. December 1952 from cancer), another mill worker. His father played an accordion in a dance band. Clive Powell also had an older sister Miss Evelyn Powell (b 1935) whose boyfriend taught him how to play 'Shoo Be Doobie Dobbie.' He also had a brother Derek Powell. Clive Powell took piano lessons as a child and after leaving Leigh Central County Secondary School, Windermere Road, Leigh at 15, he started work as a weaver at the mill where his father worked. He also sang in the congregation of his local Methodist church, leaning about vocal harmony. He had also joined local group The Dominoes at 14 while still working at the mill and played piano with them in the evening. The band later changed their name to The Beat Boys (formed in Sept 1959 in Leigh). He left later in September 1959.

In September 1959 16-year-old Powell was at a singing contest at The Butlins Holiday Camp, Pwlheli, Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, North Wales and was spotted by Rory Blackwell (b. Thursday, June 22, 1933, Battersea, South West London, England d. Thursday, December 19, 2019, Devon, England) and was offered a job as piano player in his band Rory Blackwell and the Blackjacks. Powell told his parents he would give London a few months and if it did not work out, he would return home and go back to his job in the factory. He ended up thanks to Blackwell playing piano in The Essex Arms in Silvertown Way, Silverton, East London. The Landlord used to let Powell sleep there and he would pass the box around the dockers and he was playing boogie-woogie and Rock and Roll on the piano. Blackwell also got him an audition with famous impresario Larry Parnes (b. Laurence Maurice Parnes, Tuesday, September 3, 1929, Willesden, North West London, England d. Friday, August 4, 1989, London, England).

In Late September 1959 at The Strava Ballroom, Islington, North London while playing with Rory Blackwell and the Blackjacks, Powell was seen and signed by Larry Parnes who became his manager. He auditioned for Parnes in October 1959 at The Marty Wilde Show at The Lewisham Gaumont, Lewisham, South East London and played some Jerry Lee Lewis (1935 - 2022) numbers. Powell stayed in London and Parnes changed his name to Georgie Fame. Powell did not want to change his name but Parnes gave him an ultimatum over his forced change of name, saying if he did not use his new name, he would not use him in the show.

In September 1960 still using his real name of Powell he joined Vince Taylor and the Playboys who included Vince Taylor on lead vocals (b. Brian Maurice Holden, Friday, July 14, 1939, Isleworth, Middlesex, England d. Wednesday, August 28, 1991, Lutry, Vaud Canton, Switzerland).

The Blue Flames had been backing famous late 50's, 60's singer Billy Fury (b. Ronald William Wycherley, Wednesday, April 17, 1940, Smithdown Hospital, Smithdown Road, Sefton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England d. Friday, January 28, 1983, St. Mary's Hospital, Praed Street, Paddington, West London, England) as Billy Fury and the Blue Flames in December 1959 and then again from June 1961. He then dismissed them in early December 1961 as he thought they were too Jazzy and then hired as his backing band The Tornadoes (formed in Sept 1961). As for The Blue Flames, they were taken over by tenor sax player Earl Watson (b. Alan Michael Watson, Monday, July 8, 1940, Forest Hill, South East London, England) and became Earl Watson and the Blue Flames. Later in February 1962 Watson left and Georgie Fame took over the band and they became Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. Watson later joined The Migil Five formed on Tuesday, December 31, 1963. Before that they had been called The Migil Four who had formed in 1960 in North London.

At the time the band became Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames he had found himself homeless and was sleeping in a friend’s flat in Old Compton Street, Soho, West London – Mike O’Neill (Nero) (b. Michael Anthony O'Neill, Monday, July 8, 1938, Lowton, Lancashire, England d. Thursday, October 10, 2013, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England of liver cancer), a good friend of Fame from his home town of Leigh and much hipper than him. He had a band called Nero And The Gladiators. They had quite a lot of work at that time and had a flat in Old Compton Street, London. Fame stayed there for a couple of months, listening to O'Neill's jazz record collection. He had no money, no gig and, if the band were out, Fame was walking the streets till they got back. It was O'Neill who took him down to The Flamingo and introduced him to Rick Gunnell. They were in the right place at the right time because the resident band was going off to do a TV show on a Sunday afternoon. The Flamingo had Saturday afternoon show for the stragglers who couldn’t get home, especially the GIs from the US. So, they’d do the Friday All-Nighter, the Saturday All-Nighter and the Sunday afternoon. So, they took the Sunday afternoon session and Fame reformed Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. The Blue Flames at that time in February 1962 were 18-year-old Colin Green on lead guitar (b. Friday, August 27, 1943, Woking, Surrey, England), 21-year-old Tex Makins on bass (b. Anthony Paul Makins, Wednesday, July 3, 1940, Wembley, Middlesex, England d. Wednesday, February 22, 2017) and the legendary drummer Red Reece.

Thus, Fame had been in his own band Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames with Fame on lead vocals, piano (Feb - Dec 1962) and lead vocals, Hammond B3 organ (Dec 1962 - Early Oct 1966). Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames had split in Early October 1966 and Fame formed Georgie Fame and the Ten Man Band who on Sunday, October 9, 1966 played at The Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, South East London. He also joined Harry South's Big Band that included Harry South on piano (b. Henry Percy South, Saturday, September 7, 1929, Fulham, South West London, England d. Monday, March 12, 1990, Lambeth, South West London, England).

He also had his own groups again, The Georgie Fame Quartet and The Georgie Fame Band.

Georgie Fame had a son -  guitarist Tristan Powell (b. Tristan Alexander Powell, October 1969, Hampstead, North West London, England) with Mrs. Nicolette Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry (b. Miss Nicolette Elaine Katherine Harrison, Sunday, November 3, 1940, England d. Friday, August 13, 1993, The Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol, Avon, England, of suicide, she died after falling 250 feet (76 m), who was the wife of Alexander Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 9th Marquess of Londonderry (1937 - 2012). The divorce of Lord and Lady Londonderry in 1971 was the subject of considerable publicity.

The following year on Friday, February 25, 1972, the 31-year-old Marchioness married 28-year-old Georgie Fame at Marylebone Register Office, 97–113 Marylebone Road, Marylebone, North West London and her married name became Mrs. Nicolette Powell. Mrs. Powell and Georgie Fame also had another son drummer James Powell (b. James Michael Powell, March 1973, Hampstead, North West London, England).

Info courtesy: John H Warburg April 2026