Anoraks Corner

With a very heavy heart I now sit at this keyboard to pay tribute to my “Soul Dad”, Jerry Hipkiss. He has been a friend and a mentor since the early 80’s…ever enthusiastic, ever supportive, and consistently inspirational. We were kindred spirits and Northern Soul was our thing and catalogue numbers and matrix codes, was our game! As a DJ he was the consummate professional, which led him to Severn Sound radio (fond memories of sitting in on the show) and later GFM, where his dedication to getting up early to catch a bus over to Gloucester to present the breakfast show was admirable. His apartment was heaving with 12” and LPs as he was deservedly on all the DJ mail-out lists, for years, as he pushed new releases as a club, radio and social media DJ…he created interest in artists and Soul music en masse. We never lost touch and I visited him religiously at Eldorado Road, Hearne Road and Belworth Drive. I would call ahead for “the kettle is on, son!” reply. We would analyse our latest tunes and record hunting stories…he always said he was happier buying a handful of cheap discs than just one expensive disc. That said, when you’ve been buying records for as long as he had, the cheapies were now proven rarities and fetching serious money. Those afternoons and evenings were perfect…just two “anoraks” thrilled by a crucial key change, or a vibe overload within a track! Alas, the years were clocking by and our farewell man-hug would linger a little longer and get a bit tighter each year, in an unspoken “this could be the last time” manner, which has now come to pass all too soon. It’s been fantastic reading all the tributes flooding social media over the last 24 hours…Jerry influenced many of us in so many positive ways and deserves all the plaudits…he is an absolute Soul Scene Legend. Love and respect from your proud “Soul son”.

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