Blue Plaque unveiling date announced

Sunderland will honour one of its own when a Blue Plaque is unveiled in memory of music legend Geoff Docherty.

The man who brought rock stars such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Free and Rod Stewart to Wearside will be remembered on Monday, October 26.

Music stars such as David Bowie, Free, Rod Stewart and the Faces and Mott the Hoople graced stages in Sunderland back in the 70s. Behind the scenes, it was Sunderland man Geoff Docherty who worked so hard to bring them here. Here he is in 2001 outside what was the Locarno on Newcastle Road. | se

placeholder image — Music stars such as David Bowie, Free, Rod Stewart and the Faces and Mott the Hoople graced stages in Sunderland back in the 70s. Behind the scenes, it was Sunderland man Geoff Docherty who worked so hard to bring them here. Here he is in 2001 outside what was the Locarno on Newcastle Road. | se

The plaque will be unveiled at 11am in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Sunderland, at the site of Tesco where the Locarno nightspot once stood in Newcastle Road. It was also well known as Fillmore North and Mecca.

Karen Banwell is the administrator of his memorial Facebook page, and was also behind a GoFundMe page which is helping to raise funds for an official Blue Plaque to be installed, and which people can still donate to.

She said: “Something to mark the site of The Locarno Ballroom has long been desired by those who attended the shows and members of the bands who played there. I know Geoff himself would have liked to see the site marked in some way.

“We had a poll to decide which bands should be included on the plaque.”

How the Blue Plaque will look in tribute to Sunderland music promoter Geoff Docherty. | ugc

Speaking about the fundraising for the plaque, Karen added: “We are almost halfway there already. Any shortfall will come from the profits from the concert last week. Anything over and above will be donated to Alzheimer's Society.”

Geoff, who passed away earlier this year, played a major role in shaping Sunderland’s live music scene, helping bring some of the world’s biggest artists to Wearside during the 1960s and 70s.

The area where the plaque will be installed next month, in tribute to Geoff Docherty. | ugc

Through his work at venues including The Bay Hotel and Sunderland Locarno (The Mecca), Geoff helped put Sunderland firmly on the national music map.

He was also the manager of a band from South Shields called Beckett who he first heard playing at Annabel’s in Sunderland.

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.

People can find the Geoff Docherty Memorial Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/1652616792442385/ and can also share memories of Geoff by emailing [email protected]