Joe Strummer - Newport Blue Plaque

PLAQUE FOR NEWPORT'S STRUMMER

A slice of Newport's musical heritage got official recognition last month with the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the late Clash frontman, Joe Strummer. He two years in the city, forming friendships with local groups and art students, and forming his own band The Vultures. The plaque hangs at 12 Pentonville, Newport, where he lived in 1974, composed and his first songs and learning to play guitar. Just three years later, The Clash were on their way to world-wide fame.

Richard Frame, Corporate Director of Newport's single homeless project Solas, lived with the young Strummer—then known to locals as 'Woody'—in the flat: "we used to hang out in the Messenger pub in town. Joe used to spend lots of time with the local art college students and in no time he was fronting local band The Vultures.

"This is where he started in music, and he has talked about his time in Newport a lot, since. Before he died, he'd pop back into town for a drink whenever he was in the area—and one of his last ever gigs was at Newport TJ's."

The circular plaque reads "Joe Strummer lived here in 1974." It was unveiled by Joe's widow, Lucinda Mellor on Friday 20 July. Mrs Mellor's Westcountry-based music charity for young people, Strummerville, will hopefully be teaming up with members of Solas's own music project on future ventures. In the meantime, a CD containing a previously unheard demo of Joe's band recorded in the Newport bedsit in 1974 is to be released on CD by Solas later in the year.