A NEW society has been formed with the aim of raising awareness of Ealing's momentous rock heritage.
The Ealing Blues and Rock Society, also known as The Ealing Club, is the brainchild of two men, Alistair Young and Bob Salmons, who is also artistic director of the Ealing Blues Festival.
Mr Young said: “It is true to say that Ealing and west London are really the home of British blues and rock, a genre that has been recognised the world over. Ealing is popularly regarded as the first place to have a british Rhythm and Blues club, a fact that many professional musicians living in the borough will be completely unaware of."
Mr Young, who lives in Northfields and is married with two children, said the idea sprung after he found out about Alexis Korner, who founded Ealing Jazz Club in 1962.
“I know that many people aren't aware of Alexis but he helped nuture an incredible wave of musical talent. We want to let people know about this and raise as much awareness about the area as we can.”
The society has applied for membership of Ealing Arts Group and hopes to start a local venue that would support live musical performance and innovation.
Ealing has a musical heritage that would put many London boroughs to shame. Legendary rockers The Who formed in Ealing and The Rolling Stones played several early gigs here.
Seminal rock group Deep Purple performed sessions for their 'In Rock' album at Hanwell Community Centre and Queen singer Freddie Mercury attended art college in Ealing.
Jim Marshall, who pioneered the iconic guitar amplifiers, had his first shop in Hanwell and personally sold an amp to Jimi Hendrix.
A recent campaign has been started by local man Andrew McRobbie to get a plaque installed outside Mr Marshall's former shops. And Joe Strummer, former lead singer for punk outfit The Clash, had strong links to Acton. He performed his last London gig at a benefit at Acton Town Hall before his death in 2002.
If you would like to find out more about the society, visit the website www.ealing-club.com .
