Fans flocked to see pop superstar
BETH SHUFFLEBOTHAM recalls the day a star arrived in Longton by helicopter...
WHEN Jason Donovan arrived in the Potteries in 1989 he was just about the hottest property in pop. The soap star had become a household name as Scott Robinson in Neighbours.
Then, when he teamed up with producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman, he captured the hearts of teenage girls up and down the country.
So, when Jason arrived by helicopter in Longton, in 1989, it caused a huge stir and he was duly mobbed by hundreds of adoring fans who had queued for hours to catch a glimpse of the Aussie heartthrob.
In the mid to late 1980s it was impossible to escape the assemblyline music of prolific hit-makers Stock, Aitken and Waterman – the songwriting and record producing trio of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman.
Jason had made his Now debut when he arrived in the Potteries. His duet with Kylie Minogue, Especially For You, hit number 1 in January of that year.
His next single, Too Many Broken Hearts, was number one in March.
Despite coming from Down Under, Jason and Kylie were the King and Queen of British pop. So the crowds were understandably ecstatic when a genuine pop star arrived in Stoke-on-trent to perform at the Post House in Clayton and Shelleys in Longton. ■ Do you remember the visit? Tell us your memories by emailing waywewere@thesentinel.co.uk
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