Famous People From Stoke
These days, when one speaks of famous people from Stoke-on-Trent, the first name that almost always pops into mind is that of pop superstar Robbie Williams. Not only has Williams become a household name and local hero in Stoke, he’s also brought great prestige to the city as he has based a number of his songs on Stoke, either directly or indirectly. These include such well-known hits like “Burslem Normals” and “It’s Only Us” as well as “Me and My Shadow,” his duet with Jonathan Wilkes. His song “Angel” is believed to have been inspired by the gold angel that adorns Burslem Town Hall.
With more than 70 million records sold around the world, the most by any British solo artist, and with 15 BRIT and six ECHO Awards as well as a Grammy Award nomination under his belt, Williams has certainly done his share to be known as Stoke’s most famous son. Williams was elected to the UK’s Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and has been acknowledged as the UK’s greatest artist of the 1990s.
After Williams, another popular musician who is readily associated with Stoke is Slash, the former lead guitarist of Guns N Roses and presently lead guitarist of Velvet Revolver. Widely considered to be one of the best rock guitarists in music history, Slash has done much to elevate Stoke’s heritage in music. The English-American musician was actually born in Hamstead, but was raised in Stoke beginning at an early age.
In the realm of music, Stoke has produced many other famous sons and daughters, including DJ and producer Andy Moore, composer Havergal Brian, singer and music hall star Gertie Gitana, singer Patricia Leonard, banjoist Jem Finer of The Rogues, the group Broken Bones, punk band Discharge and Motorhead founder Lemmy.
Television is another area where Stoke has made more than its fair share of contributions, particularly by producing an extraordinarily high number of TV presenters and personalities. These include such famous names as Frank Bough of “Nationwide & Breakfast Time,” Bruno Brookes of “Top of the Pops,” Anthea Turner of “Blue Peter,” Nick Hancock of “Room 101,” and Peter Wyngarde of “Flamingoes Only Fly on Tuesdays.”
