Geoff had passion for music and nostalgia
An East Boldon man who loved music, led a dance band and had a passion for nostalgia, has died at the age of 73.
GeoffPhillipswillbefondly rememberedforhisdedicated work in promoting the history of the region through books.
He wrote eight of them on Tyneside’s history and will be known to many as the author of When We Were Kids and The History of Tyne Tees Television.
Heco-presentedalocalhistoryprogrammeonBBCRadio Newcastle. But he was just as well known for his 20 years as abandleaderontheNorthEast music scene.
Today, his daughter Christine paid tribute to her dad who lived in South Tyneside and said: “I used to love to listentomydadplaymusicandhe would often sing me to sleep to the song ‘Que Sera Sera’ of Doris Day fame. And I now sing it to my daughter Emma. Quite a fittingsongtobecomeafamily tradition.
"My granddad inspired my dad’s love of local history and music. When he was young they would play together in local bands and his dad would play the Hawaiian guitar.”
Geoff played in leading bands such as Jerome and the
Originells and performed to audiences all over the region.
Christine added: "His best friend Bill of 60 years told me that he went to one of my dad’s gigs and afterwards someone askedmydadwhatinstrument heplayedand,suchwashisversatility that he replied, ‘whatevertheothersaren’tplaying’.”
“He attained a Degree in
ElectricalEngineeringatNewcastle Polytechnic. While he was doing his degree, he was also training as an engineer with Parsons and won their Apprentice of the Year award.
"After graduating, he went to work for Reyrolle Parsons Automation (RPA) as an electronics design engineer.
“He met my mum, Noreen, when he has in the band and they got married in 1971. They moved to Durham where I was born in 1976. He ran his own band ‘The Geoff Phillips Band’ that played regularly at the Swallow Hotel, Newcastle and then at the Eden Arms Hotel Rushyford, County Durham.”
Geoff ’s second marriage was in 1993 to June.
Christine said: “That made June’s sons - Ian and David – Geoff ’s stepsons. We were all teenagers at the time but as we grew up we had children of our own and so Geoff has one granddaughter, my daughter Emma and two step grandsons Kyle and Adam who are also grown up now.”