Marquee Silver Jubilee

On April 28-29, 1983, Alexis Korner and friends celebrated the 25th anniversary of London's Marquee club, the location of the Rolling Stones' first ever live performance on July 12, 1962. For the so-called '1958-1983 Silver Jubilee' concerts Korner, the governor of British blues, recruited some well-known names in British music, including old friends Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ian Stewart.

Other members of the 'Alexis Korner and Friends' ensemble included Georgie Fame (piano), Nico Korner (guitar), Ruby Turner (vocals), Jaki Graham (backing vocals), and a brass section consisting of Dick Heckstall-Smith, Willie Garnett, John Picard, Mel Collins, and Ted Bunting.

Bill Wyman recalls: "At the end of April, Alexis Korner, Charlie, Stu and I rehearsed at the Half Moon pub in Putney for the Marquee's 25th anniversary. Our old mate Georgie Fame joined us along with a great horn section and we played at the Marquee on April 28-29. Among the songs we performed was 'Hoochie Coochie Man', written by Willie Dixon and first recorded by Muddy Waters, who died the following day in Chicago". Alexis Korner himself died of lung cancer on January 1, 1984, aged 55.

Adapted from the following source: Bill Wyman, Rolling With The Stones, Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2002.