Rejoice Rejoice, Happy Birthday Tony Puppy for 12/04/08…oh and Shirley Bassey

Born To Sing The Blues / Beale Street Blues / Wabash Blues / Basin Street Blues

Birth Of The Blues / Careless Love Blues / Blues In The Night / The St Louis Blues

Fifty years ago this week a boy was born.

The boy was born in a year that produced the debut recording by a young Shirley Bassey, a 10″ LP where every title on the platter had the word ‘Blues’ in it.

Elvis Presley was still very popular (with the youth who had chosen to not to look like their fathers) after releasing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ a couple of years previously. 

The Brazil football team ,with a young boy called Pele, won the F.I.F.A World Cup in Sweden for the first time.

This was a time when the United Kingdom was called Great Britain, and National Service was still compulsory.

Tony Drayton, as the boy was named, grew up in this era, no wonder he wanted ‘out’ at an early age.

Tony Drayton man of words, and sometimes, shockingly bad taste in clothing!

Editor of Ripped And Torn fanzine, one of the first created in this new format in 1976, I believe. Sometime music biz hack, Kill Your Pet Puppy fanzine inspirational guru.

Tony Drayton, man of the people and friend to just about anyone who was anyone, in the U.K alternative music scene from 1976 – 1986.

 

Tony Puppy and Al Puppy (above) discuss where the bodies are buried, before putting Kill Your Pet Puppy fanzine ‘online’.

Tony Puppy in his old work clothes, please do NOT approach this man, was the police warning in the local paper I seem to remember.

Happy half century to the man who made all this possible with his vision all those years ago (with a little help from his friends – The Puppy Collective 1979 – 1983, and of course a round of applause to the wider network of friends and bands in London and beyond, who helped it all along at the time all those years ago. They know who they are).

10 comments
  1. alistairliv
    alistairliv
    April 16, 2008 at 12:34 am

    Happy Birthday Tony ….1958 was a vintage year!

  2. Carl
    Carl
    April 16, 2008 at 8:41 am

    Happy Birthday Tony

  3. luggy
    luggy
    April 16, 2008 at 10:43 am

    Hope you had a good one, Old Man of Punk!

  4. tonyb
    tonyb
    April 16, 2008 at 1:09 pm

    Great pic of you with one of N9’s greatest.

    Bruce – The Boss!

  5. Penguin
    Penguin • Post Author •
    April 16, 2008 at 1:27 pm

    Edmonton, aaahhhh, the sweet breeze of Edmonton. From my iceburg in Palmers Green I can almost feel and smell the despair from N9.

  6. Nic
    Nic
    April 16, 2008 at 2:01 pm

    Happy Birthday!

  7. danmac
    danmac
    April 16, 2008 at 3:57 pm

    Didn’t he do well.
    Happy Birthday Tony

  8. Mark M
    Mark M
    April 16, 2008 at 11:12 pm

    Happy 50th + 4 days.better late than never.I feel quite young now-a slip of a lad at 47.Much Love Tony x

  9. John No Last Name
    John No Last Name
    April 17, 2008 at 12:18 am

    Happy Birthday Tony… trying to think of a Bruce Forsythe quote other than the one Dan used….coming up blank….damn….got nothing… well Happy Birthday anyway.

  10. Pavlik
    Pavlik
    April 18, 2008 at 10:47 pm

    happy birthday Tony.

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