Leave Tommy alone

“I was a pop mad teenager when Tommy Steele came to the Caird Hall, Dundee,” emails Stewart McLeish. “In those days the only opportunity to hear pop music was the flaky reception of Radio Luxembourg or a few radio shows on the Light programme. The only TV pop music was the 6-5 Special on a Saturday.

“I managed to get tickets for the first show. The atmosphere was electric. Don Lang and his Frantic 5 started started the show and played his hit, Witch Doctor, amongst others in the first half. The show really rocked.

“The second half was all Tommy Steele. He was terrific, full of energy, bopping all over the stage ending with his latest hit Nairobi. Nearly 60 years on, it was still the best show I have ever seen.

“Next morning I learned that Tommy had been seriously injured by an over excited crowd in the second show of the evening. I hope that the lad who went around school with a piece of Tommy Steele’s hair, with scalp attached, in a tin trying to sell it for 2/6d feels some shame for what he and many others did to that great performer that night.”