On 14 February 1969, the day after the Mary Hopkin party at the Post Office Tower, Jimi and I went to the Valentine’s Day music awards at Seymour Hall in Seymour Street.
Jimi was to have a Disc and Music Echo newspaper World Top Musician award. Maurice Gibb was the person who would hand over the award.
This picture is of Jimi and me at the event. I never liked this picture because it caught me in an odd position although it’s a good photo of Jimi.
At the reception beforehand we chatted with Paul McCartney and his new girlfriend Linda to whom he was to be married the next month.
Noel Redding was there and lots of other musicians of course.
Lulu turned up and also the new girl – Mary Hopkin.
The presentation was filmed by a newsreel company – either Pathé News or Movietone.
These newsreels used to show in cinemas before the main film. They died out because of television.
Jimi was very nervous to begin with but relaxed as the event went on.
You can see from the pictures that he was really pleased to be recognised by other musicians as a great artist.
He was especially pleased that Maurice Gibb did the award because he told me that he liked the Bee Gees and he was very impressed with their harmonies.
Another award I remember was the Fry’s Shooting Star award for the performer who rises fastest in the charts.
Jimi left it behind in Brook Street with the other things he didn’t want after we broke up and after he died I forgot all about it.
Then, when we were moving house in the early 1980s I found it.
At the time Capital Radio was having a charity auction for a childrens’ charity so my husband and I went up to Euston Tower and handed the award over at the front desk in the foyer.
We went home and waited and listened to the radio auction and Jimi’s award didn’t come up.
I phoned the radio station and asked what had happened and they said they never received the award. They asked where the receipt was and I told them that I was never given one.
I wrote and complained to Aidan Day who was the CEO but I never got a reply.
If this award ever comes up for sale please note that it is stolen property and the proceeds should have gone to charity.
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