Reginald Calvert

Pearce Reginald Hartley Calvert (1928 – 21 June 1966) was an English artist manager, born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England.

He was the manager of The Fortunes, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, Screaming Lord Sutch, and other pop groups. In 1964, after hearing Radio Caroline, he decided to start his own pirate radio station, and made use of an old World War II fort in the Thames Estuary. Originally, the station was called Radio Sutch, and it started broadcasting on 27 May 1964, on 1542kHz. They had a summer of fun, but when Sutch decided to return to performing, Reg Calvert carried on, renamed it Radio City, and put it onto a more professional footing.

Calvert was shot and killed by Oliver Smedley, the former owner of a rival offshore station, Radio Atlanta, who was later acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence.

Life and career Calvert was born into a family of musicians in Huddersfield, and was conscripted into the army in 1946, after being demobbed he moved to Southampton where he attempted various means of making a living, including making popcorn, compering ballroom dances and playing piano in a club.

Music manager In 1956, Calvert heard Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", he then determined that his ambition was to bring rock and roll music to Britain.

In 1961, Calvert bought Clifton Hall, a former stately home near Rugby, Warwickshire as a base for his operations, where he assembled, created and managed an array of bands. These included Danny Storm, Buddy Britten, The Fortunes, Pinkerton's Assorted Colours, and Robbie Hood And His Merrie Men. Of these, The Fortunes and Pinkerton's Assorted Colours went on to have mainstream commercial success. In 1962, Clifton Hall was featured in a short film made by British Pathé.

Calvert also managed the musical career of Screaming Lord Sutch; it was Calvert who suggested that Sutch stand as a candidate at the 1963 Stratford-upon-Avon by-election as a publicity stunt, therefore launching Sutch's career as a political candidate. Smedley said he did it to protect his housekeeper and at the subsequent trial, it was alleged that there was a violent struggle. Smedley claimed that he feared Calvert was there to kill him and he was acquitted of murder on the grounds of self-defence. appeared in court charged under the older Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, because the station was sited within the limit. Radio City closed down shortly after Dorothy Calvert lost the case.

Personal life His wife Dorothy Rowe Calvert died on 21 February 2010. Her funeral and interment, also at St Peter's, Dunchurch, took place on 5 March 2010.