Tributes paid to the man who brought Jimi Hendrix, Tom Jones and the Hollies to the North East

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He was the man who changed the North East nightclub scene.

Cleadon man Stan Henry, who died last week aged 92, is being remembered as the go-getter who had 23 nightspots.

He set up the Latino in South Shields, Wetherells in Sunderland and La Ronde in Billingham as well as others in an area from Newcastle to Watford.

Tributes have been paid to Stan who also set up the Springs health club chain in South Shields, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Billingham, Teesside and Newcastle.

A tribute to Stan Henry who has died aged 92.

His eldest daughter Gwen Jordon said: “My father had an ‘I can do anything’ frame of mind. He was very positive thinking.

"They were amazing times. I met Adam Faith and I had a meal with The Hollies.

"Bob Monkhouse bought me a birthday present. I regularly met Tom Jones. We had a great autograph book.”

She recalled the time when Eartha Kitt came to the family home as she was appearing at one of Stan’s clubs in the North East.

Stan pictured with his new car in South Shields. Photo: Freddie Mudditt (Fietscher Fotos).

"Eartha came to our house on Good Friday as we always had a family get together. She really appreciated it as she was missing her family and she played football in the garden with the kids. Happy times.”

Stan was a father of three to Gwen, Ian and Kay, and grandfather of four.

In business, he shot to prominence with his friend John W Smith in the 1960s. They ran the Bailey Organisation, operating from a headquarters in South Shields, and it had venues throughout the North East and further afield.

They included the Latino, in South Shields; Tito’s, in Stockton-on-Tees; Wetherells, in Sunderland; the Cavendish, in Blackburn and the Cavendish, in Birmingham.

Tom Jones with Stan at the Latino bar. Photo: Freddie Mudditt (Fietscher Fotos).

Gwen remembered: “I used to go to the openings of the clubs.”

A magical time for South Tyneside in 1977, the year of the Queen's Silver Jubile...

The famous names just kept on coming. Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas were pictured in the boating lake in Marine Park in 1966 to promote their appearance at Latino.

Wee Willie Harris appeared at the same South Shields nightspot.

Wee Willie Harris with Stan Henry at the Latino. Photo: Freddie Mudditt (Fietscher Fotos).

Gwen also recalled how the Bailey Organisation went to London to train croupiers for their clubs as the stylish North East club scene kept growing.

What do you remember of the famous Bailey Organisation nightspots such as Latino, Wetherells, and La Ronde?

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Tributes paid to Stan Henry - the man who brought Jimi Hendrix, Tom Jones and the Hollies to the North East