Fond farewell for rock star
Reporter: JANICE BARKER
Date published: 20 January 2011
Photo: Darren Robinson
Friends carry the coffin of Stuart Wolstenholme from St Chad’s Church, Uppermill. Funeral
Friends gather in tribute to Barclay James Harvest founder
Crowds gathered at the funeral of Barclay James Harvest founder member Stuart “Woolly” Wolstenholme,.
Among them was Madness lead singer, Suggs.
Suggs — Graham McPherson — was at St Chad’s, Uppermill, for the service led by the Rev Howard Sutcliffe yesterday.
The celebration of Woolly Wolstenholme’s life featured two of his songs, The Iron Maiden and Explorers, and the eulogy was given by his good friend Keith Domone, who also wrote a book about the group.
He said: “In reality Woolly was the least rock and roll of rock stars. He recalled how he used to travel home from early concerts at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester on the bus, along with the fans who had been at the show.”
Chadderton-born Woolly took his own life in London on December 13. He was aged 63.
As a boy, he went to North Chadderton School and played tenor horn for Delph Band before forming Barclay James Harvest in 1967 after meeting band-mate John Lees at Oldham School of Art.
It became one of the biggest progressive rock bands of the 1970s. Woolly left in 1979 when he became unhappy at the direction their music was taking.
He went into organic farming, originally in Lancashire and then South Wales, but in 1998 he came out of retirement to reunite with John and recorded the album Nexus as John Lees’ Barclay James Harvest.
His final performance was at a festival in Portugal during the summer, but recurrence of severe depression prevented him from appearing with the band in November.
