With Sunderland's Music City status bid now launched and World Music Day marked across the city, we're using this week's column to emphasise our musical heritage.

Dave Stewart is a music superstar and a credit to the city. But Sunderland has given so much more. | Sunderland Echo

placeholder image — Dave Stewart is a music superstar and a credit to the city. But Sunderland has given so much more. | Sunderland Echo

Big names from Wearside include Dave Stewart, Alan Price and Bryan Ferry. Other successes include Emeli Sandé, Futureheads, Lake Poets, Leatherface, Kenickie, Toy Dolls, Frankie and the Heartstrings, Slalom D and many more.

Other genres are represented by Seaham baritone Sir Thomas Allen, Little Donkey composer Eric Boswell and folk star Jez Lowe.

Stories abound of legendary performances by musical giants in Sunderland, many remembered in the celebrated 2002 book A Promoter's Tale by Geoff Docherty. Before stadium gigs, Sunderland hosted shows by megastars including the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin.

There was a strange, almost underground performance by the Clash at the Mayfair Suite in 1985, the year after New Order also played there.

Incidentally, the Clash song Janie Jones is about a singer from Seaham with an interesting off-stage life (Google her; this is a family newspaper folks).

Astronomy genius and erstwhile Sunniside resident William Herschel was also a composer. He knocked up six symphonies while living here; including Symphonia no. 8 in C minor, alternatively known as the Sunderland Symphony.

It may be a few rungs down the aesthetic ladder, but I have a peculiar fondness for the ludicrous Sunderland All the Way from 1973, which extolled the virtues of our garlanded football team.

You can't beat insane optimism and although the song's line referring to occasions "when they crush the teams ten-nil" is something we wait to be enacted, it's there to be loved.

We also have the ballad The Lambton Worm, with lyrics based on unimpeachable historical facts, John Kettley is a Weatherman and the haunting There Was an Old Lady From Roker, Who Was Hit on the Head With a Poker.

True, that last number was a composition from the top of my late grandfather's head, but it entertained us while we were waiting for Minecraft to be invented.

Anyway, from magnificent compositions and artists, to stupid songs about a serious assault in Roker, this area has offered much.

So get behind the bid.