Classic laughs with Nigel
ASTON Villa have many famous supporters, topped by Prince William, while others include Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, actor Tom Hanks, Harry Potter star and season-ticket holder David Bradley, and England cricketers Ian Bell and Chris Woakes.
But for many years in the Doug Ellis ownership the celebrity fan most associated with Villa was one of the world’s greatest violinists, Nigel Kennedy.
Outside concert dates Kennedy divides his time these days between Malvern in Worcestershire and Krakow in Poland where he lives with his second wife Agnieszka – so he is rarely seen at home matches.
Nigel has been a good friend to me over the years.
I was always amused how he wore a Villa shirt on stage when performing. A great advert for the club!
Chairman Sir Doug Ellis invited both of us regularly into the Directors’ Suite on match days over the years. Nigel chose to watch the game in the stands with Villa supporters but came in afterwards.
Many years ago, after Villa had beaten Liverpool for the first time in several years, ‘Deadly’ Doug was in celebratory mood and kept proposing toasts to “our wonderful win over Liverpool”.
I enjoyed a good relationship with the late Sir John Smith, who was then Liverpool chairman, and their secretary Peter Robinson, who has recently died.
Doug was overdoing the ”toasts” when Kennedy arrived into the room wearing his Villa shirt and carrying his violin, worth over a million pounds, in a battered case with Villa stickers all over it!
Ellis suddenly announced: “Gentlemen, our number one supporter, Nigel Kennedy. In honour of our wonderful win over Liverpool I am asking you to play your latest classical offering, please.”
Kennedy, who has sold more classical records than any other violinist, did so beautifully and it took the growing tension out of the room.
However ‘Deadly’ asked for attention again and explained that Nigel had visited the Ellis home in Four Oaks where Doug’s wife Heidi had cooked them supper.
Nigel then played for them. Ellis continued: “In honour of our win today, please would you play that Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto again.”
With a chuckle Kennedy responded: “I have just played it you **** !”
In fairness, the chairman took it without any offence and swiftly moved on.
I had several adventures with Nigel.
I took Doug and Heidi Ellis, plus Nigel, to the now-defunct Italianstyled
restaurant Prego in the nearby Aston Water links area, after a Villa home match.
After dinner the madcap Kennedy and TV presenter Newbon (who should have known better) had a crazy car race round the car park – Kennedy in his Aston Villa-painted colours and motif Jaguar against my Mercedes. I cannot recall who won (selective memory here!).
Soon afterwards my wife, Katie, threw a surprise 50th birthday party for me at the old Ronnie Scott’s jazz club in Broad Street. The owners, Barry Sherwin and the late Allan Sartori, were good friends of ours.
Katie asked Nigel to play, which he did beautifully with Jimi Hendrix music and some jazz, but he was unusually refrained from bad language. I thanked him later but said he sounded a little unsettled.
He explained: “Your old lady said there would be a lot of old relatives there and I was not to use ANY bad language.”
Nigel came round for dinner at our
home bringing his bulldog called Deadly with him. He had two big dogs the last time I caught up with him, which was at Malvern Theatre where once again he was on his best behaviour because of a sell-out – but older – audience.
We were there as the guest of the theatre’s managing director, Nic Lloyd. I said please do not mention to Nigel that we were there but we would like to go to see him afterwards.
All was going well until Nigel went for a walk up the aisle still playing his violin. He first spotted Katie and as a result glanced at me.
“**** me,” he exclaimed to a gasp from the audience. “It’s my mate
Gary Newbon. Stand up, fat boy!
“When he was in the USA covering boxing and I was playing over there, Gary would take me to the fights.”
What he did not add was that when one night we were in a Los Angeles restaurant before the ban on smoking, the head waiter, who I had tipped earlier, suddenly whispered in my ear: “Sir, please would you ask your friend if he would put his cigarette out. We do now allow that.” Thank goodness I had tipped him! Celebrity fans are always good for football clubs. Every club has some and Nigel Kennedy is certainly one of the originals.
Next week some more celebrities and their clubs over my time in the Midlands.
By the way, I am proud to be listed as one of Leicester City’s celebrity supporters!
I was always amused how he wore a Villa shirt on stage when performing. A great advert for the club!