STARS of TV and music turned out in force as the city said a rock’n’roll goodbye to Mr Manchester Tony Wilson at his funeral today.
Tony, who put Manchester on the world map with the famous Hacienda club and Factory Records – which spawned bands like Joy Division, New Order and Happy Mondays – was buried at Southern Cemetery after an emotional service at the Hidden Gem Church in the city centre.
The guest list at his funeral service read like a who’s who of Manchester celebrities with former TV colleagues like Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan, Bob Greaves and Lucy Meacock from Granada, rubbing shoulders with music business faces like New Order’s Peter Hook, Andy Rourke from The Smiths, Rowetta and Shaun Ryder from Happy Mondays, Clint Boon from Inspiral Carpets and other famous faces like journalist and singer John Robb, TV and radio presenter Terry Christian, former business partner Alan Erasmus and acclaimed ‘Factory’ designer Peter Saville.
Fame
Yet despite the fame of the mourners the service was a very normal Catholic requiem mass lasting just over an hour with readings by a few old friends and former colleagues.
Tributes came in the form of flowers from the great and good of Manchester and beyond. Wreaths included a huge message made out of hundreds of white daisies which simply red “From Liverpool With Love.”
There were also floral tributes from Sir Alex Ferguson and the players and staff at Manchester United, music bible the NME, Alan McGee – the man who first discovered Manchester band Oasis and Coronation Street and Shameless actor Chris Bisson.
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One floral tribute bore the words: “To Manchester’s true legend – your legacy lives on. From Michelle and David, friends and followers from Blackpool and Preston.”
One time Granada colleague Richard Madeley paid tribute to the man they called Mr Manchester after the service.
He said: “The service was one of the most emotional I have ever seen. Tony always had absolute self belief. He was so confident but he was also a very good, thoroughly decent man. “He celebrated others people success almost more than de did his own and he will be greatly missed by his friends and this city.”
The service was conducted by Catholic priest, Canon Denis Clinch, at Tony’s favourite church, the Hidden Gem, off John Dalton Street in the city centre.
Both Tony’s children Isabel and Oliver were baptised there and Tony used to pop into the church regularly to have theological discussions with Canon Clinch. After the service, watched by a large crowd of members of the public, friends and family travelled across town to Southern Cemetery, where Tony was buried and then onto One Central Street bar for his wake.
Pay tribute at our online book of condolence .
Read more about Tony's remarkable life via the links on the right of this page.
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Tony will live on in the tears of manchester gone but never forgoten.everytime manchester cries i will think of tony wilson.
Ace.
May you rest in peace and may your good work for the treatment carry on.
When I set up the group A Tribute to Tony Wilson on Facebook I hadn't anticipated how quickly it would grow. There was not one disparaging remark made. A true testament to the man indeed.
Amongst the tributes there are those from the good and great of Manchester; a personally moving one from the daughter of a mum still in Christies; and a man who as a child shared Tony's cheese butty.
Tony was an exceptional character and the streets of Manchester will miss him dearly.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4447186541
If people want to do their own bit in tribute to Tony they could also download the Compute Against Cancer program to help search for a cure.
RIP Mr Manchester, you are a star. Fact.
Love, Steve
xx
Such a sad day and a terrible, terrible loss to your family, friends and those that didn't even know you, personally.
For those of us that did you will be rembered every day and we are blessed to have had you in our lives.
One Central Street with some bangin' music took us all away and back to what it was all about.
May God rest your soul.
goodbye Tony. the whole world was jealous because they couldn't have you. a big piece of this city has gone with you.
one word sums you up.....LEGEND
GOD BLESS, AND REST IN PEACE
Wonderful tribute by Richard Madeley on the news last night.
Very eloquent and beautifully put - he's gone up in my estimation.
And yes even ITN News covered Tony's funeral - even though you would have thought, by their tone, that they had been sent to a foreign land!!! Oop Norf Manchester!
Interesting how Richard and Judy atteneded, since they did a Beatles and shipped down south at the first opportunity. Hypoctites
I was a big fan of AHW and as I have said, met him several times. However, I must confess, I thought Judy rather over-egged the custard when she was being interviewed. I can't abide Madeley under any circumstances so I didn't listen to his speech. The photo with this piece is a bit comic. Anyone remember Peters & Lee?
I do feel that Tony would have been rather sad to find your paper had mentioned his 2 children yet failed to mention his long term partner Yvette Livesey who was a strength beside a strong man at this sad time for her.
Warm Hands to Yvette whose strength meant so much to Tony.
Regards,
Greg L-W.
I worked with Tony Wilson for a lot of years at Granada and his ego was amazing. But he was also a lovely, lovely man and he will be missed - he had an informed opinion about everything!
WELCOME HOME
I'm so alone, my love without you
You're part of everything I do
When you come back, and you're beside me
These are the words I'll say to you
That was a Peters and Lee song by the way.
Farewell Tony, the lights over Manchester have dimmed since you left us.
It is a sad loss to the City of Manchester of the passing of Tony Wilson - I met him when he was a young reporter on Granada Reports - He was a decent bloke - GR were doing a local programme on Moss side and on Cranswick Street near to where I lived - Great bloke and sad to see his passing
God bless Tony - it was always a pleasure - I lost my Dad this year and was sat by my Mother in hospital on the morning you passed away - I wish you well Sir!
Love to Yvette and your family
x J
When I first heard about TW's death, I can honestly say I felt 'empty' - a true loss, both to the City of Manchester and the world of culture as a whole (not just the music industry).
This genius - and real ones are a very rare breed - helped found some of my favourite bands (Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, etc.), proving that, with just some genuine talent and a 'vision', you don't need to be a huge, profit orientated corporation to make it.
Tony, you have left a (relatively) dull - and usually predictable - music world behind, which will now sadly miss the 'spark' you brought to it over the years.
The fact I say all of this coming from Leeds - although lived in Manchester briefly in the past - I think further strengthens my sincere belief of just what good he did - why couldn't we Loiners have a TW?! Kaiser Chiefs - err, who?!
AHW - RIP.
'Caressing the marble and stone, Love that was special for me, The waste in the fever I heat, How I wish you were here with me now.'
Ian Curtis, 'In a Lonely Place', 1980.
A great loss for the city and indeed the whole of the North West. One of the great things Tony did was to work to heal the rift between Manchester and Liverpool, and from the floral tribute at his funeral, he obviously went a long way towards succeeding.
He was a genuine national treasure, and will be greatly missed by all of us who love the feisty Northern spirit that makes Manchester the capital of self-assured, unpretentious innovation.