Black to the Future

Liverpool one of the world’s greatest cities. Second city of the Empire. Home to a multitude of people from across the world. This is where our story begins.

The 1800’s, saw a host of Black entertainers plying their trade in the pubs and bars across Liverpool. One of the most popular was ‘Master Juba’ who played the Theatre Royal in Williamson Square alongside Pelle’s Ethiopian Serenaders. Meanwhile, Sam Hague’s Georgia Minstrels where playing to full houses at the St James Music Hall Lime Street.

A performer of future fame was to emerge from the slums of Scotland Road. A young lad of Jamaican and Irish ancestry, William Masters was born in 1887. He adopted the stage name of Gordon Stretton, in tribute to an Edwardian music hall artist. In 1906, Stretton joined the Native Choir of Jamaica at St Georges Hall. He then went onto become a jazz drummer. He played in Paris, recorded in New York. In 1929 he moved to Buenos Aries, Argentina, where he was one of the first jazz figures with his ‘Gordon Stretton Symphonic Jazz Band.’ He was also a good friend of the future King George V. He spent the rest of his life in Argentina and passed away in 1982 at the age of 95.

Post WWI, Liverpool became a major touring venue for performing artistes, such as Duke Ellington Coleman Hawkins and Paul Robeson playing at the Empire Theatre and The Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

Shortly before WWII, a young female singer emerged from the streets of Liverpool 8. Her name was Lita Roza. She took to the stage at the age of twelve and went onto become a ‘Big Band Singer’ with The Harry Roy Orchestra, Edmundo Ross and the Ted Heath Orchestra. Today she is mostly known for singing the 1953 hit ‘How Much is That Doggie in The Window.’ The UK’s first Number 1 recorded by a female artist.

In the post war years, the US Black GI presence at RAF Burtonwood continued to influence and inspire local performers, such as Odie Taylor, Robert Amoo, Les Young, Wilf Johnson, Eddie Jenkins, and brothers Johnny, Powie and Eddie Wenton through their introduction to American music and dance through the conduit of the pubs, clubs, Shebeens (unlicensed clubs) and dance halls of Liverpool 8. Although, their musical education began at a very early age, at home, listening attentively to dad as he strummed and played his guitar in readiness for his evening performance along with others at one of the many crowded entertainment venues within Liverpool’s black community.

Migration from the Caribbean into Britain helped swell Liverpool’s Black population. The newcomers seeking new opportunities also brought creative artistic talent such as Panky Alleyne, Harold Philips (Lord Woodbine), Roy Stephens and many more.

From the local black music scene, there began to emerge a black night club establishment, with the likes of Jokers, Palm Cove, and Dutch Eddies, who aided and abetted the emergence of some forty black night clubs within a two mile radius in Liverpool 8 and over the next forty years they would play a significant role in social cohesion providing job opportunities for local residents, musicians and entertainers. 

In the following decades, other local performers were to make their mark, including The Chants, The Valentinos and The InCrowd, and a deluge of performers who followed them.

In the 1970’s the musical compass swung in another direction of Funk, Soul, Reggae and Disco. The music scene expanded its geography to the city centre through to clubs like the Timepiece, The Pun the Top Rank and The Babbalou. This period also enjoyed the emergence of The Real Thing, The Harlems,

Distinction, Offanci, L8 Connection, The Gems and many more.

By the time the 1980’s arrived Liverpool’s black music scene was well established. What emerged from this was an eclectic blend of music, performance and festival, in the mould of Kabassa, Kif Stress, Ebony, Earthbeat and others, alongside Reggae Sound System ‘One A Penny’ who achieved world-wide recognition through their many hit records.

By the time we approach the 90’s, the musical landscape reveals a whole new musical sound. With the advent of Rap Music and Hip Hop, Liverpool was no stranger to this urban street sound. Performers who made their mark were Bantu, Olo, and Lyrical Compact.

The following decade would see a major shift in the continuous story of black talent, solo performers, bands, groups, collectives, producers, lyricists, and artists ranging from Marsha Ambrosious, who achieved global recognition, both as a producer and singer, Chelcee Grimes, AyStar, Beyond Average, L100 Cypher, Rebecca Ferguson, Esco Williams, Mic Lowry, Janice Myers, Tremz, Ricon Don, Miss Stylie and Nutribe.