Salute to ‘Mr Gay Village’
TRIBUTES AS ‘GREAT SHOWMAN’ NIGHTCLUB BOSS DIES AGED 74
TRIBUTES have been paid to a legend of Manchester’s gay scene who died after testing positive for coronavirus.
Glenn Stevens died just two days after developing Covid-19 symptoms while being treated in hospital following a stroke. Nicknamed ‘Mr Manchester,’ the 74-year-old was a popular figure in the city’s Gay Village, having owned a number of pubs and clubs, including New York New York.
Glenn’s brother, David Green, described him as a ‘great showman’ and said he had been left ‘heartbroken’ by his death. He said: “Glenn was warm, loving and caring. He was a great entertainer. He had a toxic tongue and would tell people what he really thought, but people loved him.”
Brought up in Blackley, Glenn worked as a nightclub DJ before taking on his own venue, Samantha’s, in Manchester
city centre, in the 1970s.
Following a stint owning The Shamrock pub in Ancoats, he rented out a building in Bloom Street. It would go on to become known as New York New York. David said: “He wanted to run a place himself. There were no clubs around there back then, so he started the Gay Village. It was nothing like it is today. He was openly gay himself, but the scene was all hidden away before then. New York New York changed that big time.”
Glenn later owned a number of other venues around the city, including The Thompson Arms in Sackville Street, Strawberries, and Maxwells on Deansgate. David said: “He had four or five clubs at the time. New York New York was his baby though. He used to perform there as a compere on a Friday and Sunday. It was always packed.”
Glenn eventually handed over the reins about 15 years ago, but his legacy endures as New York New York remains a popular nightspot for revellers.
During the last 12 months, Glenn, who lived in Prestwich, suffered a number of strokes. After being admitted to North Manchester General Hospital, he was transferred to Fairfield General Hospital’s specialist stroke unit.
He contracted pneumonia and subsequently coronavirus.