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Obituaries
Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey dies
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 22 June 2010
The man inside the papier mache head of comedian Frank Sidebottom, Chris Sievey died yesterday at Wythenshawe Hospital after collapsing at his home in Hale, Greater Manchester. He had been recovering from surgery to remove a cancerous tumour from his chest. He was 54.
Frank Sidebottom became a familiar character on TV in the 80s and 90s, instantly recognisable by his massive head and unshakable enthusiasm for everything. He first appeared on one of a number of tracks by Sievey’s band The Freshies, which came free with a videogame he designed for the ZX Spectrum called ‘The Biz’. Originally the Sidebottom character was meant to be a one off creation as a fan of The Freshies, but he quickly became hugely popular and took on a life of his own.
Such was the appeal of the Frank Sidebottom act, he went on to appear on both adult and childrens’ TV and radio shows, including Channel 4 gameshow ‘Remote Control’, hosted by Tony Wilson, and on various radio stations with Mark & Lard, including Radio 1.
As well as his comedy career, Sievey was also heavily involved in music. He formed DIY record label Razz Records in 1974, putting out over 60 releases. In the late 70s he formed The Freshies, who released a string of EPs mainly through Razz, though he did sign to MCA and later Stiff Records in the early 80s. Their best known song, ‘I’m In Love With The Girl On A Certain Manchester Megastore Checkout Desk’, reached number 54 in the singles chart in 1981.
As well as this, Sievey released records as Frank Sidebottom, most recently a World Cup single, ‘Three Shirts On My Line’, which he launched just last week.
Journalist and musician Rhodri Marsden, a current member of Frank Sidebottom’s Oh Blimey Big Band, wrote on the Guardian website this morning: “I’ve never played on stage with such a buoyant, upbeat bloke. If we hadn’t managed to learn the songs he wanted to play, well, that was funny. If we didn’t have time to soundcheck – which, in already-busy venues, he would do while hiding behind an amplifier with gaffer tape wrapped around his face – that was ‘brilliant'”.
He adds: “Any pre-gig discussions would inevitably be concluded by Chris saying ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be fine!’, accompanied by a wide, reassuring grin. And it always was, because even after we’d all had a few drinks, he was an utter professional. Blundering, unpredictable, impulsive, but a professional. And incredibly funny. So funny. The repetition and apparent simplicity of Frank’s stage act masked some off-the-cuff comic timing that would leave me agog”.
