Stars
Maybe we don’t get many of our home-grown stars appearing locally too often these days – but that doesn’t mean they’re never around.

Last week, for example, the Searchers – who are now in the USA – were at the Empire Theatre, but a whole string of ‘top people’ were in the Pool.

Gerry Marsden and Les ‘Chubby’ Chadwick, prior to the Pacemakers’ Australian tour.

The Big Three strolled in over Easter – and so did the Fourmost, and the Swinging Bluejeans were here last weekend.

Cilla Black made a quick visit to see her family – and to have her photograph taken.

She’s 21 in May – but she got the 21st-type pictures taken last week as she’ll be on tour at the tune of her birthday.

Charles
Big news for all you Ray Charles fans this week. I hear that ‘The Genius’ has been booked for Liverpool and that he’s to give two shows at the Odeon Cinema, London Road, on July 10.

It’ll be the first time Charles has visited the city, though he appeared at Manchester last year.

The old firm of Roberts and Oreland are presenting the show – they’ve got the MJQ at the Philharmonic Hall on April 18 too – and the deal was clinched this week.

Town
In town last week to discus the next four ‘Sunday Night At The Cavern’ Radio Luxembourg programmes was its producer Monty Bailey-Watson.

Monty fixed the recordings to take place at the Cavern last Friday and the groups who’ll be heard introduced by Bob Wooler in the next four shows as the Escorts, the Chants, the Four Pennies and the Clayton Squares.

Like Decca’s A&R man Noel Walker – whose LP ‘At The Cavern’ has just been released with very little publicity – Monty Bailey-Watson comes from the Crosby area.

He’s been living in Hertfordshire, however, since he joined Ross Radio.

Master
The Master Minds – who are still waiting for news of their ‘Maggie May’ audition – are holding what they call their ‘charity month.’

Last week the boys, Duggie Meakin, 19, lead and vocals, George Cassidy, 18, bass and vocals, and Johnny Jay Rathbone, 19, drums, presented 50 Easter Eggs to the children at Alder Hey Hospital.

And on Friday, April 10, they are playing at the Philharmonic Hall in the concert organized in aid of the British Empire Cancer Research campaign.

Well done, lads.

Green
On Merseyside last week there were four Irish boys claiming to be the top beat group in the Emerald Isle.

They’re Paul Williams, lead, Maurice Ahearn, drums, John Keogh, piano, and Brian Lynch, bass, and they are called the Green Beats.

The boys – all students in Ireland at University College, Dublin – met seven Liverpool girls in Dublin last summer and everyone kept in touch.


Originally the Irish group called themselves the Caravelles – till two girls called Andrea and Lois did rather well under the same title – so they changed their name to the Green Beats.

They played at the Iron Door in Liverpool and hope to make further visits to the local scene – popularity and studies permitting.

Club
A new city centre beat club is to open almost immediately.

It is the Kinkajoo – there used to be an old coffee club of that name years ago – and it’s in Temple Lane.

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