Our Guide to popular music on Tuesday 22 July 2025 was Pete Meadows, who has a personal collection of more than 9,000 vinyl discs from which to select for his talks. Many of these were bought during his trips to the USA.

In a programme that went from the early 1950s to the end of the 1960s we heard the performers and Pete was able to provide additional information from his own experience. Pete’s parents had worked in theatre and stage management, and as a young man he had been able to stand in the wings or up in the flies to watch the performances, and in some cases meet the artists after the show in the hospitality suite. He was particularly proud to have shaken hands with Buddy Holly in the early 1950s when Buddy was touring in the UK. Pete’s own career involved management of artists that were included in his mix.

Among the artists we heard were Neil Sedaka, The Three Degrees, The Flirtations, Peggy Marsh, Ronnie Hilton, Gary Miller, Guy Mitchell, Al Martino, Paul Anka, Gerry and The Pacemakers, The Hollies, The Searchers, The Seekers, and Jackie Wilson.

Pete had been called up to do National Service and had been drafted into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in 1958, and his love of music had sustained him during his two years in the army.

His musical excerpts continued with Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Del Shannon, Dion di Mucci, The Four Tops, Cliff Richard, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, Paul Anka, Neil Diamond, Roy Orbison and Connie Francis (who sadly died just a few days before Pete’s talk).

Pete has offered to come back and give another presentation in the future.