Tributes paid to Sunderland music legend who brought stars including David Bowie to Wearside
Tributes were today paid to Sunderland music maestro Geoff Docherty after his death at the age of 86.
Geoff, who packed out venues such as the Bay Hotel and the Locarno, will forever be remembered as the man who brought Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin and Tyrannosaurus Rex to Sunderland in the ’60s and ’70s.
His friends David Waller and Karen Banwell today looked back on Geoff’s packed life and remembered how he changed the music scene locally.
David, who was a friend for more than 50 years, said: “Geoff was so modest that he did not think he had done anything big.”
David recalled one incident when they were in the Bis Bar, in Park Lane, and people had spotted him.
“He was something of a celebrity by then but Geoff just said ‘I didn’t really do anything. I just helped to make it happen. He didn’t think there was any big hullabaloo about it.”
Karen said: “It’s not an exaggeration to say he was the catalyst for a life-long love of music for thousands of people. His efforts undoubtedly enriched our lives and continue to do so to this day. Thanks so much, Geoff, from the bottom of our hearts.”
Karen added: “Over the years we worked together, Geoff facilitated me meeting with many of my heroes. Robert Plant, Roger Chapman, and Paul Rodgers included.”
She said it was ‘a pleasure and a privilege to work on the books and, like many of us, I am eternally grateful to Geoff for kick starting my life-long love of music and making my teenage, and not so teenage, dreams come true.’
Geoff’s story is a wonderful one of success. He carved a niche for himself as a music promoter in the 1960s after seeing six years service in the Fleet Air Arm.
He became a club doorman before turning to music promotion, with the Bay Hotel, in South Bents.
Family were the first band Geoff booked to play at the Bay, on January 6, 1969, with tickets costing six shillings each. Then came Free a week later.
Tyrannosaurus Rex played at the Bay Hotel in June 1969 and at Sunderland’s Locarno ballroom in November of the same year.
Radio One DJ John Peel, another great friend of Geoff’s, once declared the Rod Stewart and the Faces 1973 gig at the Locarno as his all-time favourite.
Geoff, who died last weekend, also booked names such as David Bowie and Mott the Hoople.
He was also the manager of a band from South Shields called Beckett who he first heard playing at Annabel’s in Sunderland.
In more recent years, his close friend David organised birthday walks for people to join Geoff and celebrate his big day on the seafront.
David previously told the Sunderland Echo: “He is a Sunderland man who has never moved out of the city. He had a huge impact and boosted the North East economy.
"He put rock and roll on the map in the region and brought some of the biggest bands in the world here.”