PJ Proby

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

Dunno what it is, but something lately got me thinking about sixties legends with obscene levels of talent and a sideline in self-destruction and rampant shagging.

 

You know, like PJ Proby. His web site is positive enough but it would have to be since his career has fallen so far he's basically a cottage industry now. The man is 67 and he's shifted some drink and other stimulants in his time. Anyone have an 'in' on his current health?

[Canadian Paul 97]

Dunno what it is, but something lately got me thinking about sixties legends with obscene levels of talent and a sideline in self-destruction and rampant shagging.

 

You know, like PJ Proby. His web site is positive enough but it would have to be since his career has fallen so far he's basically a cottage industry now. The man is 67 and he's shifted some drink and other stimulants in his time. Anyone have an 'in' on his current health?

A 1991 heart attack, a four-year hiatus and continuing work in theatre was all I could find, but you all probably already knew that.

[tonewheel 0]

I watched a documentary about Diana Dors a year or so ago And P.J. was in it, he was apparently besotted by her, and spent his time tending her grave.

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

I watched a documentary about Diana Dors a year or so ago And P.J. was in it, he was apparently besotted by her, and spent his time tending her grave.

 

So the man has issues and is prone to losing some of the plot (heh heh), always a good sign when we're looking to shorten the DL odds.

[Guest Guest_Charley Farley]

didnt he have prostate trouble 10 years ago!

[Godot 149]

PJ should definitely be dead by now. He's on my 2006 list too. As far as I know he lives, if you could call it that, in Huddersfield. But he's mended his trousers.

[Guest pj proby]

IM FINE ,THANK YOU ,JAMES MARCUS SMITH,,AND DOING VERY WELL THANKS XXXX

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

Er, PJ, like, how do we know it's you?

[Magere Hein 1,399]

Er, PJ, like, how do we know it's you?

We don't.

 

The originating IP address of that post suggests he isn't.

 

regards,

Hein

[pulphack 6]

alright so i've just got back from the pub and my typing will be crap but we are talking PJ PROBY!!! the greatest lost rock'roll singer of all time. i can just about remember the sixties, but my path and his cross in odd ways over the years. my best mate's ex-wife's dad (urban legend alert) was the compere on the tour where PJ split his kecks on stage several times. it was deliberate - he courted the controversy and was sick of being the man who demo'ed songs for elvis in the states.

 

anyway, he had a well-documented penchant fr young girls that got him into trouble - especially when he shot his young 16 year old wife allison in 1980. at that time he was caretaker of a block of flats in salford. before this he had been involved with leapy lee, the singer sent to jail with alan lake for assault (hence the DD connection).

 

savoy books rediscovered him and made a series of great 12" singles of heroes, love will tear us apart, an alleged rap duet with madonna (yeah right) and his mugwump dance (with I was born a poor white poor in N-wordtown on the reverse side). he also recorded eliots the wasteland with musical backing.

 

prior to this his he had been arrested and his parole officer ended up writing books about psychic animals. i had a cat in one of his books (yes, it was a scam) and then ended up doing a book on esp for the same publisher and so got to know him. he had financed a comeback CD full of northern soul and hated the savoy guys as they kept pj drinking. he sent me a copy of pj's parole record - i'll see if i can find it for anyone interested.

 

jim gave up the sauce, got god and went to live in barnet with billie davis, the 60's soul singer who was in the car crash that f**ked up jet harris (so she was au fait with casualties of one sort or another). he liked to paint sunflowers. he was a nice guy. then i lost track of him.

 

given his past, he should be fragile... however, he's kept clean for a good while as far as i'm aware, which cuts down his chances of kicking it.

 

and remember, it was on a proby session that page, jones and bonham recorded if not for the first time, then before the first zep album was released.

 

if you want r'n'r 60's possibilities, look at drummers. tony meehan popped off recently. chris curtis (ex searchers, roundabout and the catalyst for deep purple) is still around as far as i know, but has been a bit iffy for a long while.

[Captain Oates 21]

Thanks for that, pulphack. A most interesting insight.

 

Have you seen the Dead Drummers thread yet? They seem to be a dying breed!

 

According to football_fan, posting in that thread, Chris Curtis is no longer with us.

[Guest Himler]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

[pulphack 6]

blimey, curtis gone, too... thanks for that. i haven't looked at dead drummers yet - too many threads, not enough time - but will check it out. drummers: butt of jokes, and prone to unusual demise. you have to be a certain type of person to be a drummer...

[Windsor 2,233]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

Any reason why the Uni won't allow me access to this page.....

[Anubis the Jackal 77]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

Any reason why the Uni won't allow me access to this page.....

CENSORSHIP! FREE SPEECH!! NAZI TOTALITARIAN STATE!!!!

 

And so on, and so forth for another 15 pages.

[Lady Die 63]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

Any reason why the Uni won't allow me access to this page.....

Because you're under 21?

[Windsor 2,233]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

Any reason why the Uni won't allow me access to this page.....

CENSORSHIP! FREE SPEECH!! NAZI TOTALITARIAN STATE!!!!

 

And so on, and so forth for another 15 pages.

Oh right....so it's got nothing to do with the fact that Himler is a complete racist?

(If that was his 'myspace' profile that I found in a link provided by him somewhere else on the forum).

[Guest Himler]

What?

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

It's a good looking photo, maybe the university has a ban on pictures of corpses with their faces burned off and maggots feeding on what's left of their eyes.

[Guest Himler]

Oh right....so it's got nothing to do with the fact that Himler is a complete racist?

(If that was his 'myspace' profile that I found in a link provided by him somewhere else on the forum).

I don't have a myspace profile so no it wasn't.

[Canadian Paul 97]

My father died last year.

 

Here is the link: http://poetry.rotten.com/wurms/index1.html

Rotten shocking is soooo passe....

[Guest Gary Roberts]

Just stumbled across this thread.

 

I can confirm that PJ PROBY is well & truly going strong. He was on tour from Feb-May this year as part of the SOlid Silver 60's tour (www.flyingmusic.com) and is just about to start a Johnny Cash tribute tour August Bank Holiday Weekend (dates: www.selectrecords.net)

 

Having just finished rehearsals with him in Bury, He is a lot fitter than a lot of 67 year olds I know and shows no signs of croaking soon.

 

He currently lives in Worcestershire though he has lived at various places up and down the country.

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

Cheers Gary, I'm sure that little plug'll put a few ticket sales on his next tour. We'll get him in the end mind, we always do!

[Star Crossed 33]

Cheers Gary, I'm sure that little plug'll put a few ticket sales on his next tour. We'll get him in the end mind, we always do!

Careful, mpfc, we don't want Mr. Roberts thinking he'll need his flak-jacket at their next gig!

[maryportfuncity 10,616]

Mr Roberts works in the entertainment industry in the north of england and he's involved with Proby, I reckon my grim irony won't be lost on the lad.

 

On a more serious note, Proby has to be a long shot because if there were any obvious and serious long term problems arising from his earlier heart trouble he'd be uninsurable to work with Mr Roberts and pay tribute to Johnny Cash.