One of Manchester’s best loved music figures has died with Johnny Roadhouse passing away at the age of 88.
The musician passed away on Saturday (April 11th) following a short illness, bringing to an end one of the longest musical careers in the country. A renowned saxophonist, Roadhouse was a pivotal figure in Manchester’s pre-punk music scene, reaching national prominence with Elton John.
However it is for his music store that he is best remembered by the city’s musicians. The Johnny Roadhouse Music store on Oxford Road in Manchester became a vital meeting point for bands across the generations, with the shop becoming intertwined with the rise of the Manchester music scene to international prominence.
“Every single band in Manchester has gone through Johnny Roadhouse Music at some stage – it’s impossible not to,” Joyce told the Manchester Evening News.
“Music shops come and go, but Johnny Roadhouse stays. It’s synonymous with Manchester music,” he added.
Reminiscing, Joyce said “Johnny Roadhouse was such a character, and his shop used to buy and sell all sorts of stuff.”
“I remember going in as a 13-year-old boy with a pair of old ice skates that I had polished and buffed with a fine piece of sandpaper. He gave me a couple of quid and I felt like I had been had!
Radio broadcaster Terry Christian added that the shop was a Manchester institution. “All the biggest bands have been through those doors since the days when ‘Top Of The Pops’ was made in the city,” he commented to the newspaper.
Amongst the shop’s regular customers were Sir Paul McCartney, while Oasis paid tribute to the store in the video for their B-side ‘The Masterplan’. A fan’s favourite, the promo for the track included scenes from their hometown – including a shot of the front of the Roadhouse store.
Manchester music legend Johnny Roadhouse has died, aged 88.
