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Agent-manager-promoter-producer Hal Carter passed away on
13 July 2004, his 69th birthday.
Following
his National Service and a period with Bertram Mills Circus,
Hal received an invitation from Larry Parnes to join Marty
Wilde as his Road Manager. Over the following years Hal
toured with the likes of Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Brenda
Lee, Johnny Burnette, Joe Brown, The Kinks, The Troggs,
The Who, Los Bravos, and of course Billy Fury.
In
the late sixties Hal opened his first agency, the Warren
Agency, which soon became the Hal Carter Organisation. Within
a very short space of time Hal found himself representing
Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Carl Simmons, Billy Kinsley, Jimmy
Campbell, The Equals, Mungo Jerry, and The Swinging Blue
Jeans.
Hal’s
next venture was into recording and publishing, and he soon
had a number of chart successes to his credit with Billy
Kinsley’s band Liverpool Express, Coast to Coast,
and Billy Fury.
Hal
booked artistes for Derek Block’s 1973 Rock’n’Roll
Revival Show, an event which rekindled interest in artistes
of the ‘50s and ‘60s rock’n’roll
era. It was at Hal’s suggestion that Magnet Records
signed Shane Fenton to adopt the personna of Alvin Stardust,
and the format idea for the highly successful Solid Gold
Rock’n’Roll Shows, promoted so successfully
by Flying Music eminated from Hal’s desk.
Hal’s
most recent ventures were the managerial launch of tribute
bands The Illegal Eagles and Rumours of Fleetwood Mac, both
of whom extensively toured the UK for The Flying Music Company.
Hal’s
well attended funeral took place at Islington Crematorium
on 20 July. Along with Hal’s family and friends, others
attending were Bob James and Tony Sherwood of The Agents
Association, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Billy Kinsley, John
Leyton, Bruce Welch, Vince Eager, Jess Conrad, Alvin Stardust,
John McNally, Frank Allen, Spencer James, Sally Carr, Nicky
Stevens, Sheila Bruce, Penny Lightfoot, Tommy Bruce, Mike
Berry, Chip Hawkes, Johnny Mans, Len Tuckey, Peter Sarstedt,
Mac Poole, Pat Lloyd, Alan Williams, Mark Haley, Howard
Elson, Beaky, Danny Rivers, Phil Aldridge, Allan Cosgrove,
Alan Field, Sharon Sly, Carol Gray, Nick Kanaar, Mike Saunders,
Tony Crane, Clem Cattini, Ian Robinson, Derek Nicol, Paul
Leighton, Dave Goldberg, Sandy Newman, Alan Wilson, Nick
Boyles, Pete Tobit, Michael Lawrence, Jon Gower from Chelmsford
Borough Council and Malcolm Cook.
At
Hal's express wish, the Hal Carter Organisation continues
in business under the direction of Hal’s daughter,
Abbie Carter.
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