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The Milton Keynes Sunday Citizen Spotlight During his 21 years as a Milton Keynes resident, Big George Webley's career has taken more turns than there are roundabouts in the city. His CV reads like a who's who of the entertainment industry. Through his years spent as a session musician, record producer, songwriter, broadcaster and freelance journalist, he's worked with most household names. But like most CV's it only tells half the story, as it fails to highlight the impact of he's had on the arts scene here in Milton Keynes. He is renowned and respected for being able to talk for England, but unlike other stars residing in the city, Big George has always taken time, and more importantly financially helped fellow artists attain success. His encouragement has taken on many forms, sometimes just verbally with time saving advice, on other occasions with more personal involvement. There are few local musicians, actors and artists that haven't benefited from his advice and help. His infectious appetite to succeed and refusal to abide by normal practice have seen him secure many notable achievements. His biggest claim to fame must be his TV signature tunes, including: Have I Got News For You, Exclusive, Jo Brand and the forthcoming BBC TV comedy series: Yes Sir, I Can Boogie. His powerful personality has constantly broken down traditional practices. His jamming of FM103 Horizon FM's radio frequency in 1992, to highlight the lack of local artists being played is a perfect example of his fortitude. In recent years he has become a martyr for real radio. His shows on FM103 Horizon, BBC GLR and recently BBC Three Counties received accolades from both critics and the public for their individuality and musical content. Only last week MUSIC FILE, the BBC 2 education series he presents won a prestigious European TV in Basle, Switzerland. On boxing day part one of his "Look Back at a Century of Recorded Music" will be broadcast live on BBC Three Counties Radio between 5-7 pm Part two is on Wednesday December 29th, 5-7 pm
Before then, sit back and take a look at the big man's choices and preferences while under the Sunday Citizen's Spotlight.
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH
CLAIM TO FAME
FAVOURITE FOOD
FAVOURITE RESTAURANT
FAVOURITE DRINK
FAVOURITE PUB
FAVOURITE VENUE
FAVOURITE THEATRE
FAVOURITE FILM
FAVOURITE VIDEO
FAVOURITE PLAY
FAVOURITE SINGLE
FAVOURITE ALBUM
FAVOURITE BAND
FAVOURITE DJ
FAVOURITE BOOK
NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE
FAVOURITE COMEDIAN
FAVOURITE TV SHOW
FAVOURITE RADIO SHOW
FAVOURITE MOTORCYCLE
FAVOURITE CAR
FAVOURITE SPORTING MOMENT
FAVOURITE SPORTING HERO
WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE BEEN - PAST OR PRESENT
WHO WOULD YOU HAVE LIKED TO HAVE MET
WHO ARE AND WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR LIFE
WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE
NAME A SONG THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE
WHAT TAPE/CD ARE YOU CURRENTLY LISTENING TO IN THE CAR
NAME A TURNING POINT IN YOUR LIFE
MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT
EXPLAIN THE GREATEST DAY IN YOUR LIFE
PET HATES
REGRETS
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT MILTON KEYNES WHAT WOULD IT BE
FAVOURITE LOCAL ALBUM
FAVOURITE LOCAL BAND/ARTIST
FAVOURITE LOCAL DJ
IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WORLD WHAT WOULD IT BE
AMBITIONS
QUESTION - Is it true you were not christened George, if so, how did such a name come to be you and sorry to be cheesy but what's the BIG bit all about? BiG GEORGE - When I was very young I knew my name was wrong. Up until the time I was 10 years old I'd toyed with the idea of being calling Sandy Macksill, but no-one took me seriously. Then when I was 11 years old, a programme on ITV called INSIDE GEORGE WEBLEY starring Roy Kinnear went on air and I knew that was what I was going to be called for the rest of my life. As for the BIG, that's Herbie Flowers fault. I wrote to him when I was a teenager asking for some career advice and he invited me to meet him in a recording studio (the start of a two year apprenticeship. The first time he set eyes on me he said "Hello Big George", I said nothing but thought it was a bit of a pain until a couple of weeks later, when I was walking down Oxford St and the producer on the session Jeff Wayne (World of the Worlds, Rock On etc) was walking towards me. I didn't think he'd recognise me at the session, but he pointed straight at me and said "It's Big George" and it has been ever since. QUESTION - You seem to have breezed through life doing exactly what you want to do, is this a fair assumption? BiG GEORGE - Pretty much. I was a postman for three days, as they wouldn't give a musician a mortgage, and when I was a teenager I used to clean toilets in between gigs, but aside from that I've led a blessed life QUESTION - So what's the key, rich benefactor, good bank manager, good fortune down at the bookies , pure luck or pure old fashioned hard work? BiG GEORGE - Being able to live without a regular income, and not worrying about what you haven't got. The amount of people I know who earn an absolute fortune but spend all their time and energy in the unsatisfying quest to earn even more, I simply can't understand it. A beggar on the street could do with a couple more pound coins in the hat to secure another can of Redstripe and Michael Jackson could do with another billion dollars to purchase the rest of California, and that goes for all points in between. We could all do with a few more bob. If you take that out of the equation, life becomes a lot less stressed QUESTION - For someone so emotionally embroiled in the 1970's punk rock music scene it puzzles me why you swapped the excitement of London for the cultural delights of Stony Stratford at such a crucial time in your life? BiG GEORGE - It was at the Roxy Club in Covent Garden that I fell in love at first sight to a Punk rock chic. We wanted to get married and have children as soon as possible. She was born in Sherington (before it went up market) and after looking at broom cupboards in East Ham for a million pounds we took a drive up the M1 and never went back QUESTION - Do you not feel the decision to leave the jellied eels behind hindered you musical aspirations? BiG GEORGE - What's more important? A happy family life or being a media slag. Leaving London was the best decision I ever made, apart from getting married and having children at a relatively early age QUESTION - There's no doubting the local and national media see you as Mr Milton Keynes, are you comfortable with the tag and why is this so? BiG GEORGE - There's nothing I can do about it, but being an evangelist for Milton Keynes comes easily to me, I truly love it here. QUESTION - For someone who's enjoyed more coverage than most you are still very critical of the local media. What would you prefer to read, see and hear? BiG GEORGE - Am I critical? I do feel we suffer from being on the edge of everything. Local TV, both commercial and BBC have their HQ's in Norwich, then there's Southern Arts, Midland Electric, Anglia Water etc etc. Milton Keynes should be the centre of things not the furthest outpost QUESTION - Your move into local politics resulted in an abrupt resignation, sorry to be so cynical, but wasn't this just a classic Big George publicity stunt? BiG GEORGE - No it wasn't! I was sick and tired of party politics ignoring the real needs of my town so I stood on the platform of keep politicians out of local politics, thinking that I would lose my deposit. Instead I took 57 percent of the entire vote. At my first meeting I was elected chairman. During the year I lead the council I tried my best to make a difference (against the petty bureaucracy that hindered me at every turn). I think the majority of residents of Stony would agree that I made the council a more accountable body. But after some shameful underhandedness I saw with regards to a building development, coupled with the fact that one of the leading parties was looking for dirt on me (and even though there ain't none, an accusation can be just as damaging) I felt having the power to erect a hanging flower basket outside the library wasn't worth doing a full time, unpaid job. So I resigned after I had called the two most well attended meetings in the towns history, where I spoke openly and honestly about what was going on QUESTION - As I understand it, you would love to be Mayor of Milton Keynes? BiG GEORGE - If the job came up, I think maybe I would throw my hat in the ring. I love this city with all my heart and soul, and think that I could wear a chain, press the flesh and big up Milton Keynes as well as anyone. Plus, I've got no puppet masters pulling my strings QUESTION - Getting back to music for a minute, what the hell is a musicologist? And how did you attain such a title? BiG GEORGE - It's someone who can explain things like a circle of 5ths or when music was first written down without the people listening falling asleep. You attain it when you go on TV programmes like Newsnight the Big Breakfast and they want a job title for their caption QUESTION - I know you can recite a long list of very credible personal achievements but aren't you disappointed the really big break has so far eluded you? BiG GEORGE - What, like being in the Undertones for a few years, banging out the same 15 songs and then .... obscurity! No, I'm thrilled with the course of my career. How many other people have played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Madness and Eddie Floyd and Eddie and the Hot Rods and Nigel Kennedy and Link Wray and Richard Clayderman and the Pink Fairies- do you want me to go on? QUESTION - Is there a curse on the city? I know there's been some notable achievements, but to date no band or performer has truly cracked it ( i.e. top of the pops, front of N.M.E etc) you have done more than most to help, so why hasn't a band or artist from MK made the mark? BiG GEORGE - I would say it's because our local commercial music station, Horizon Radio hasn't championed the best of local pop talent. In the last 10 years there have been over a dozen bands good enough to crack it, but apart from the occasional apology play, our local FM radio has done NOTHING QUESTION - So you are back with Auntie, how did that come about? BiG GEORGE - I'm a freelancer, I first worked for the BBC in 1976, on Saturday Live on Radio One and have been doing different things for the BBC ever since. Apart from the show on Three Counties I'm a regular on the Fred McCauley show on BBC Scotland, I do TV reports for East at Westminster on BBC2 and am a spokesman for BBC Worldwide Music QUESTION - Getting a talk-based station to play music was some achievement how did you manage to convince the powers to be? BiG GEORGE - Blackmail ha ha ha, the simple truth is, the boss offered me a job on Three Counties Radio, from 6pm until 7pm every Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday and I accepted QUESTION - Were you like many in the local media surprised the BBC didn't choose you to anchor the new BBC:MK breakfast show? I'm reliably informed you did apply for the job, true? BiG GEORGE - Yes, but my application was unsuccessful. But no I wasn't surprised, Toby has worked incredibly hard to get inside the psyche of Milton Keynes and is doing absolutely brilliantly QUESTION - You have passionately and publicly criticised the radio industry for not breaking new acts. Now you are part of the industry is your own conscience clear you are doing everything you can to make a difference? BiG GEORGE - Crystal clear. I put my balls on the line every month in the pages of the most successful music magazine in Europe: Sound on Sound about the shocking state of the music industry and the seeming collusion between the high street retailers and the major record labels (all of whom are foreign). But if you're asking about why I don't play local bands on my Three Counties Show, the answer is, I do! Supakarma, Paul Bell, Graham Robins, Mark Chapman, Violent Delight, Rush Hour, A.G.E. - all local to the Three Counties area have all had their first or second airing on my show. The thing is, the show I am contracted to do, Big George's Sound of Music is about the very best in music, of all genres and vintages. From Louis Armstrong to Beethoven to the Kinks to the number one session guitarist in Nashville to Aretha Franklin to Maria Callas to hundreds more all time greats. The likes of Tuesday Strange have a long way to go before their contribution to music secures them a place on my show one night QUESTION - The music industry we both love has dwindled into nothing more than a shallow plagiaristic parody of past glories. It saddens and annoys me, as music is still an emotional and very exciting medium yet I feel the all-important stepping-stones have now been removed and there's no industry infrastructure left. How do you see it and can the industry be saved like it was by the Pistols and co? BiG GEORGE - My hope is the five major labels buy each other up and then drop all their artists except Britney Spears and Limp Bizkit. Why? Well maybe then the world might realise that, over the last decade and a half our children have been force fed manufactured celebrity tosh with no artistic substance, just vehicles to sell pizzas, fizzy drinks and anything else they can brand QUESTION - Back to the family, it must be a bit weird being Grandad at just 43? BiG GEORGE - I'm 44 now, so it's a bit easier to take. As for it being weird, not at all, it's Fantastic QUESTION - Is the city's future bright, orange or bleak? BiG GEORGE - Milton Keynes is THE City of the Future, regardless of whether the Queen agrees and decrees. All it needs is affordable housing for the children of the families who have made this place the success it is and a football stadium Interviewed by Lee Scriven |
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