Sunday for Sammy
Sunday for Sammy
Posted: 11 Feb 2010
Stars shine for Sammy
February 7, 2010
* Listen to Tim Healy talking about his best pal Sammy, how he set up the memorial fund 10 years ago, and who makes HIM laugh on the audio link
Review by Michael Hamilton
A galaxy of North East stars put on a pair of glittering Sunday for Sammy concerts at Newcastle City Hall to raise money to help nurture local talent.
Guitar genius Mark Knopfler was the surprise superstar guest and brought both sell-out three-hour shows – a matinee and evening performance – to a memorable finale with his Geordie anthem Local Hero.
But not before the Newcastle-bred former Dire Straits frontman revealed another surprise – a rare knack for comedy.
In fact he was the butt of a three-hour running joke in the shows as he repeatedly entered stage right to play the opening notes of some of his greatest hits – only to be summarily dismissed by the rest of the cast.
First he was thrown off stage by organiser and show compere Tim Healy while trying to launch into Walk of Life. Then Tim’s actress wife Denise Welch gave him the elbow after a few bars of Sultans of Swing. Finally he was given a red card by Toon legend Alan Shearer – on a video link on a huge 40 feet screen behind the stage – as he played the blistering intro riff on Money for Nothing.
They all urged him: “Not that. Play your hit, man. ” So he obliged with a barnstorming rendition of Local Hero. Lindisfarne's Run For Home ended the show - and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Geordie guitar ace Mark Knopfler said: “It was a delight to be part of such a wonderful event – made special because it’s part of coming home”.
Show mastermind Tim also starred as brickie Dennis in a pair of hilarious Auf Wiedersehen Pet sketches with his TV co-stars Kevin Whately (Neville) and Christopher Fairbank (Moxey).
They were specially penned by the shows original writers Dick Clement and Geordie Ian La Frenais, who flew in from Hollywood for the big night.
Actor Timothy Spall, who played Barry in the TV series, got in on the act via a satellite link. He set up the sketch – playing a sozzled RAF veteran – which saw the hapless brickies incarcerated in Colditz.
Actress Julia Tobin, who played Neville’s missus Brenda on TV, also featured in it with comic Brendan Healy as a hilarious Geordie Colonel and former Coronation Street star Kevin Kennedy as a Nazi doctor.
Denise and her fellow Loose Women anchor Andrea McLean starred in a rude send-up of the ITV daytime show called Slack Lasses – also featuring Geordie actress Angie Lonsdale and North East news presenter Pam Royle.
Brilliant music came from a superb house band comprising Lindisfarne legends Billy Mitchell and Ray Laidlaw (who also helps put the show together with former Tyne Tees Television director Geoff Wonfor) playing with Ray Stubbs on vocals and harmonica, John Hedley on guitar, and Brendan Healy on keyboards. Tim Healy took memorable lead vocals on Eric Burdon’s classic blues spoof Send You Back to Walker.
Veteran Tyneside blues band Junco Partners and celebrated Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell also played live on stage and joined the entire cast in a moving rendition of the Lindisfarne anthem Run For Home to close the show – to rapturous applause.
The charity concert also featured some of the young performers who have benefitted from grants awarded from the Sammy Johnson Memorial Fund established in the name of the late actor who died suddenly in 1998 at the age of 49.
Opera singer Ruth Jenkins, harpist Emily Hoile and singers Hayley McKay and Louise Henderson all got a great reception from an appreciative crowd.
* This year’s bash was the sixth biennial show since 2000 when Tim Healy and Jimmy Nail launched the first Sunday for Sammy concert. They have raised more than £200,000 with an additional £50,000 coming from the sale of videos and DVDs. Since its inception the fund has given out almost £150,000 to 155 individuals.
* If you would like to donate to the fund please go to www.sundayforsammy.org
* This year’s DVD can be ordered now and the three previous DVDs from 2004, 2006 and 2008 are also available at www.jgwindows.com Tel: 0191 232 1356
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