I only found this touching post about Tom Hall because I was just introduced to him in Alan Moore's Jerusalem. And from reading this I've learned that they worked together on something called 'Madam October' which Im excited to look more into.

Also, the author is now older than Tom Hall than he was on the day he was invited to share a brandy with him.

Well, I hope youre enjoying your time at Jolly Smokers, Tom.

I never had the privilege if meeting Mr Hall but he sounds great, one of the last few interesting people that are left. There's not many of those anymore, what a shame he went so young..

Just picked up a copy of Watering The Spirits CD from Oxfam in Market Harborough. Was a fan of CRSB and looking forward to hearing this.

Thanks for that. I had a copy of Dan, half dan, I pinched off me sister. Wish I till had it!

Later this year will be releasing another cd from grass roots records this one will be a Tom Hall tribute cd called Now That's What We Call Tom Hall.

To keep upto date with the release date and the launch party please come join the facebook page for Tom: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tom-Hall-Musican-Northampton-Legend/127924690606718

Thank you.

I have the honour to be the hand behind the revival of what I can only assume, was once one of Tom's favourite tipples, namely Ratliffe's Celebrated Stout, along with its parent company Phipps NBC. Our goal for the revival of these legendary Northamptonshire beers has been to restore a dash of indigenous, historical colour to our region's pubs and bars, something Tom's music provided in abundance during his life. As a Northamptonshire patriot and folk fan I've long been an admirer of his work. Although I never met Tom in person I would like to think he would be amused and interested in our project which is a labour of love rather than a commercial venture, Cheers Alaric Neville, Phipps NBC

I have managed to get it up and running again but I am in the process of re making it which will probably take about 1 month. Its now on
http://www.tomhall.org.uk

Any new updates please?

just revisited Tom Hall,s tribute page and been touched by neil spencers eulogy.

Diane,if you get to read this,i hope all is well.

All Love to Tom's memory
Ron
xx

Ten years ago, Tom Hall and Guy Fletcher played on two
occasions at my high school in Barnesville, Ohio. Tom Hall's
rough, powerful voice still exists vividly in my mind; the concerts
were so great and left such an impression on me. Remembering
that voice today with particular clarity led me to this sad news of
Tom Hall's passing, now almost two years after the fact. Though
I'm grieving as type this, I'm also glad to have experienced his
music.

The website still isnt running.

I havent got the internet down here and I think mum was trying to sort it out but she doesnt know much about it and the people who are meant to be helping her out havent done anything yet.

I would do it myself but I havent got a job or the internet so I can do it at the mo.

Cheers.

Is anybody going to sort out the tom hall website?

PLease can we have a reply to this message A.S.P.

Thank You..............

Fuck. I have just heard Tom bloody Hall for the first time on the Rocking for Romania c.d (it was on in the Racehorse last Saturday afternoon. It starts with A House by the River. We could NOT believe this wasn't J Cash from the first few bars. Bloody amazing, as is Madame October, which could have easily been L Cohen or John Cale. And I've lived here in Northampton for five effing years, so stood a pretty decent chance of actually seeing the genius live and in the flesh before he passed on. But I didn't. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fucking Bollocks. Bloody Fucking Bollocks. I am furious. And sad. I mean, what a brilliant bloke...

Pat - keep up the sterling work, by the way - I'll see you 3rd of June and probably moan about this for some time, even though you hardly know me. I'll say it again Bollocks. And Fuck. Again. And again and again and again, until the government put his entire back catalogue out in all the primary schools as a New Key Stage One in 'Stupefyingly Brilliant and Mental Studies'.

I remember seeing the Celebrated Ratcliffe Stout Band on two occassions in the early eighties at the Arts Centre in Builth Wells, Powys, Wales.

At the second gig, unfortunately the audience was probably no more than a dozen. This did not deter or upset Tom however. After a couple of numbers he walked off the stage and simply invited us all to join him in the bar, where we all had a fantastic evening joining in as he sang and played his eclectic range music which was individual as the man himself.

I still have the two vinyl albums I bought that night. Tom signed them and drew a small caricature of him sinking a pint, plus the words "I like a nice pint". A great man and musician.

Stay forever on the Brightlit Pier.

A year past yesterday. It has gone very fast. WE ALL MISS YOU TOM.

I WAS THERE AT THE TRIBRUTE AND IT WAS GREAT O SEE DIANE AGAIN AND TURVY ALL THE REST OF MY DADS MATES . AND ALSO TO HERE THE OLD SONGS .
I HAD JUST CAME FROM DENVER ,USA THE MORNING BEFORE . so thanks for this great time .

How are doing? I am seding this from colleage. Its Graham son Leighton.

I went on your website and liked it very much.

I tried to knock together a bit of a website whilst I have been home.

It has got some pictures and a discography, that kind of thing.

http://www.tomhall.net/home.htm

cheers, Will Hall.

I've just discovered while surfing the web that my old friend Tom Hall, the entertainer has 'passed on'. Ah the good times we had in the Black Lion in the mid eighties ....... what great 'joie de vivre' this man always showed.

Wherever you are headed Tom ...... ' may the road rise to meet you'.

Des Cooney

Pat - thank you so much for your beautiful words. What a wonder it is for me to be miles away from my home town, and be able to offer words of fond memories to friends and family of Tom, who I knew well when I lived in Northampton.
When I heard the news that Tom had passed on, I felt suddenly homesick. I would have loved to have been part of the memorial event and I hope to hear about it some day. I am happy for Tom that his life was celebrated so well by his friends and family.
When I was about thirteen years old, Tom and his music enchanted me! My mum, Judy (Yes, THE famous Judy Lewis of 10 Primrose Hill) was wonderful enough to somehow sneak me in to the pubs to sing with Tom and all the friends that gathered around. Those were marvelous, rich evenings that made my teenage years exciting and fresh and anything but boring. When Tom played the Rep, he invited me to dance on the stage in my tap shoes! I was about twelve or thirteen then.
Thank God I grew up with talented, down to earth, beautiful, loving, eccentric characters like Tom! Yes, he was one of a kind. (And Pat, you are one of those too by the way! The last time I saw you we drove to Cambridge and talked about everything from philosophy to old bones!)
Northampton will not be the same without Tom Hall.

Fare well,

Aniko Lewis

I would just like to thank everyone who attended the memorial event last night. It made everyone hard work worthwhile and I believe an enjoyable night was had by all. I should get a web site up soon, but going back to uni might stunt its growth somewhat.

Cheers. Will.

my father and mother were friends of tom and di
i remember going to their home when i was young i remember going to their gigs and i remember when i saw them both again after 20 years. i asked tom if he had a copy of the rat/stout band ''that would be a collectors item now. you'd pay 250 pounds for that now!" he gave me a copy and i listened to music that is so imprinted in me that i remembered all the words and then he died and and i got out the tape and my kids had recorded rap music over all the whole side. i truely loved tom and di i believed that at their home fairies and dwarves and any manner of folk lived with them in a beautiful free existence. i send you all my love di i know that you will look after the little folk even though you have lost his beautiful soul.
much love and all sarah turvey and family

my father and mother were friends of tom and di
i remember going to their home when i was young i remember going to their gigs and i remember when i saw them both again after 20 years. i asked tom if he had a copy of the rat/stout band ''that would be a collectors item now. you'd pay 250 pounds for that now!" he gave me a copy and i listened to music that is so imprinted in me that i remembered all the words and then he died and and i got out the tape and my kids had recorded rap music over all the whole side. i truely loved tom and di i believed that at their home fairies and dwarves and any manner of folk lived with them in a beautiful free existence. i send you all my love di i know that you will look after the little folk even though you have lost his beautiful soul.
much love and all sarah turvey and family

my father and mother were friends of tom and di
i remember going to their home when i was young i remember going to their gigs and i remember when i saw them both again after 20 years. i asked tom if he had a copy of the rat/stout band ''that would be a collectors item now. you'd pay 250 pounds for that now!" he gave me a copy and i listened to music that is so imprinted in me that i remembered all the words and then he died and and i got out the tape and my kids had recorded rap music over all the whole side. i truely loved tom and di i believed that at their home fairies and dwarves and any manner of folk lived with them in a beautiful free existence. i send you all my love di i know that you will look after the little folk even though you have lost his beautiful soul.
much love and all sarah turvey and family

Dear Pat

We have never met, but i used to be pal of Tom's way
back in black lion days, when i hung round with Mark,
Mary, Allan and other wayward locals. I've written a
tribute - about 1300 words - and wonder if you would
be kind enough to post it on your site prior to the
memorial bash, which I'll be attending.

Have a nice snap of Tom as a young fellwr, too, coming
down on a sunday morning by the look of it.

let me know what you think. i appreciate the piece may
be too long

thanks for the tributes.

ns

hiya to you!
i just wondered if there is any more info yet about the tribute gig to tom hall? or is it a little too early? any advance plans yet?
i would definately be interested in attending.
do you think that you could eventually put the details on your website when you know more about what's going on? that would be much appreciated.
thanks very much, kind regards from bob owens.

met Tom way back,way back way back in 65 ,black lion,thought he was related to graham bond,Tom turned me onto everything,falling around,blues and dubes . (Phippsvilles) had the privilige of putting Tom on at Royal Theatre plus chicken,
Tom kept me going when my marriage broke down
we played Dubious Blues 2nd.Old House at Home.Black Lion every thursday,APH sunday.the tree
on bass my brother on drums and tom played slide,
guest appearances by a list of local guitarists
sometimes 3!! on one gig.plus an assotment of
singers,saxophones and wild men.One Especially
fire filled night we walked offstage one by one leaving amps feeding back and your drummer wondering.."whatever happened to Eddie"..
Hey Tom,the Don Lang Special is still on the menu.
thanks Tom,I wouldn't have got this far up the
mountain without you.

stunned lookingfoward to see him in august. then this. no more songs to sing. delve

Message to all friends and fans(!). I have the honour of being the coordinator for this proposed event which will probably be held in September. Venue as yet to be decided, but we are trying to sort out the bandstand in Abington Park - a venue that Tom would very defintely have approved of.

If anyone would like to contribute muscically I would like to hear from them soonest. The basic idea is to have a House Band consisting of Mark, Guy and me. To this will be added various extras who will hopefully have a Tom song that they would like to feature on. Whether it's a song you want to sing or play on - let me know. Also I am constructing a database of all people who would like to be kept up to date on progress of the event. Tom - a great old friend and inspiration.

I knew Tom for 40 mad years.In the mid sixties, when we were desperate to be seen as down and out "beat nicks",Tom was always immaculate in pin striped suits and razor cut hair.We watched him grow from a blossoming folk singer to the King of the Blues.A wonderful journey from the "Cafe des Artistes" to paradise.Now the stage is bare, but the legend and his music live on.
From Alan Mason and Spud (the Outlaw)

in the mid seventies . I WAS WITH MY FATHER WHO TOOK THE RATCLIFF ALBUM COVER PHOTO AND HANGING AROUND TOM AND DIANE AND TURVY , MARK .

My tribute to tom
The man with the heart as big as the aura that surrounded him.
I've often heard folk talk of legends,but i can say that among many,many other's,I had the great honour of knowing a real one.Never have I seen so many broken people,so much pain.
But to all the Dave's,Mark's,graham's,Alan's,Pete's,Steve's Nick's,Chris' and uncle Tom's cobblers and all,Tom meant colour and laughter,not sorrow and pain.To know him was to love him.
PAM(a mere window cleaner)

On february 25th northampton lost one of its greatest son's.I had the privelege of being a friend of Tom's for around 23 years.I met Tom in 1980,introduced at a party by pete connolly.Tom was lying on a bed playing guitar looking at me,saying,who's this crazy fucker.Anyway i got to know Tom quite well and he introduced me to the Black lion mob,a crazy bunch of nice guys.In the last couple of years,Tom quit drinking.I found him a really gentle soul,who was very funny without drink.Tom was in my house about 9 months ago "sharon where's my fuckin' trousers",running about like a madman,Tom was better at ozzy than ozzy himself.After the grief I want to remember Tom just as a really nice guy,manys a day he brightened the world up for a lot of us out there.Yeah,i feel as if someones cut my arm off,so lets raise or glasses or cups of tea,to the legend TOM HALL.Rest easy old friend.I'll never forget you.Graham(Belfast).

I wnet back to Northampton for the weekend
and was sad to hear there was something
mising. Tom was great for all my family. From
sunday afternoons as a kid in the Black Lion
what a great place to frow up.

I think the town needs a statue of him big
enough for kids young and old to sit on his
knee and have their first snort of snuff.

lets get wrting to the CHRON & ECHO

greatly missed

gog davitt

Dear JazzButcher

Just to say cheers for a heart-felt and moving tribute to Tom Hall. Went looking for stuff on him and yours was the first Google gave me. As a Northampton boy (sort of, born in Isleworth but moved there in 1985) I had the pleasure of meeting Tom through his life-long friend Steve, the father of two of my friends. Met him at a party as a teenager and, as well as getting me blind drunk he also introduced me to Mississipi John Hurt and said I had hair just like his used to be in the Sixties (I find this hard to believe as, this being 1990, I had crusty white-boy dreads, but what the hell). Anyway, it goes without saying that Tom will be missed by a hell of a lot of people and we should definitely have some sort of tribute and pub and statue built in his honour. He's already immortalised in one work of art at least - the first edition of Alan Moore's Big Numbers comic, set in a fictionalised Northampton. The artist, Bill Sienkiwicz was sketching characters in the Black Lion, as it was, and coincidentally drew Tom, unaware that he was a mate of Alan's. That's quite enough from me.

Cheers, Tom.

I have spent seven years of my life in Northampton (1978-1983 and 1985-1987) and Tom besides, entertaining me, sorted me out a little.

Thank you Tom and may God look after you the same way that you looked after so many of us.

Peter Norman
8 Raglan Court
319 London Road
LEICESTER
LE2 3ND
0116 270 1107

For info when I was in N'pton I worked for Baxters (Butchers) Ltd at their Head Office on Vicoria Prom, Gloucester and then at Wootton.

I've seen a lot of animals being killed.

It was with great sadness that I read in yesterdays Chronicle & Echo the death of Tom Hall.I first met Tom at the Angel folk club in Bedford in 1974 and saw him at venues around the uk over the next28 years. I hope that someone will organise a memorial concert for him in Northampton.Perhaps the town council should name a street after him or better still someone name a pub after him (one that has live music obviously).A great man who will be sadly missed.
Ian Hannent

Hi Pat
Manyt hanks for your fitting tribute to Tom. Beautifly
done Dear Boy! Could I ask a small favour ? As I don't
have a web site would you please consider posting my
tribute on your site . I'm sure your fans and friends
would be more interested in Toms exploits than
'Shadows fans' ,which is where I also thought of putting
it . If this would be ok ,how do I go about it? I would
really appreciate it.
Regards Mark ( Griffiths )

It was my privilege to know Tom and to jam with him in my home in West Virginia, in his home in Northampton, and in a number of different pubs/bars on both sides of the Atlantic. The world is a less colorful, richly textured place and interesting place since Tom Hall no longer inhabits it. He will be sadly missed but never forgotten.

yeah i was a mate of tom in 1966, he was an absolute stand alone then, he had the whole scene weighed up, calculated and dusted, superb musician and rememberer of songs,... so long ago. I wish i had known him longer \Mick wimpress

Sorry to hear you lost your friend Tom Hall. Maybe next time you visit LA you can play a few of his tunes for us.

Be cool,

Cheeso