The Importance of Being Anthony H. Wilson

journalist, entrepreneur and cultural catalyst

Tony Wilson hosting After Dark in 2003. Open Media Ltd., CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

MY EARLIEST memory of Tony Wilson is as a presenter on a regional news programme covering the North West of the UK called Granada Reports during the late 1970s. Wilson stood out a bit, and didn't seem like all the other rather serious-looking reporters. He was a bit more intense; less wooden. He seemed to bring his personality to work and I wasn’t sure whether I liked it, but unbeknownst to me he was, even then, evolving into one of the most altruistic and principled patrons of the arts the UK has produced. By the time of his death in 2007 he was a beloved figure in English popular music although he never, as far as I know, picked up a guitar or sang in a band. He was such a significant cultural figure that a film was made about his grand scheme to facilitate a Manchester Renaissance. It featured the comedian Steve Coogan in a deft and comical portrayal of the man himself. Directed by Michael Winterbottom, it’s called 24 Hour Party People (2002), and if you’ve never seen it you will probably find it very funny, even if you are not familiar with the Manchester music scene. On the other hand, if you love the “Madchester” scene as it was fondly nicknamed, you will probably have seen it already. Whatever the case, it’s required viewing, and available on YouTube. Here’s a taster: