[Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.] Naj Modak (BBC News) writes about Lord Woodbine, a Trinidadian calypsonian, steelpan player, and promoter who was influential in Liverpool’s Caribbean music scene and who has been described as the “forgotten sixth Beatle.” Lord Woodbine performed alongside The Beatles in Hamburg in 1960 (see photo below).
Lord Woodbine was known for promoting The Beatles during their early days
A mural celebrating a musician who has been described as the “forgotten sixth Beatle” is set to be unveiled later by the community he helped to shape.
The artwork in Liverpool’s Toxteth area honours Lord Woodbine, a mentor to The Beatles and an icon of the city’s Caribbean community.
The Trinidadian calypsonian, steelpan player and promoter became an influential figure in Liverpool’s Caribbean music scene and played a role in the Fab Four’s early years.
His daughter Carol Phillips said: “We hope it [the mural] will be a catalyst for the celebration and visibility of the Liverpool 8 [district] music scene and the contributions musicians like my Dad made.”
Lord Woodbine, whose real name was Harold Adolphus Phillips, arrived in England in 1948 as a member of the Windrush generation after serving in the Royal Air Force.
As a leading light in Liverpool’s Caribbean music scene, he introduced calypso and steelpan music to wider audiences through bands including Lord Woodbine and his Trinidadians and the All-Caribbean Steel Band.
He was also known for promoting The Beatles before their rise to fame and driving the band to Hamburg in 1960, where he performed alongside them.
Phillips said: “The mural is for the whole family of Liverpool 8, not just our family.
“Many of them [musicians] played a prominent role in the growth of Liverpool’s music scene and on the international stage, yet some of their stories and contributions have remained unsung.”
The mural, painted by Liverpool artist John Culshaw, is the latest work commissioned by charity Mandela8 as part of a series celebrating community role models and local heroes from Liverpool’s Caribbean and black communities. [. . .]
For full article, see https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3vqw4dxv32o
Also see https://www.mandela8.org.uk/mural-spotlight-lord-woodbine and https://explore-liverpool.com/forgotten-sixth-beatle-lord-woodbine-to-be-celebrated-with-liverpool-mural
[Shown above: 1) Photo of Lord Woodbine, courtesy of the Phillips Family; 2) photo by Barry Chang/Getty: Lord Woodbine with The Beatles in Hamburg in 1960.]