All you need is love - Beatles fan and musician Pete set to remember his son at charity concert
A Brownhills man who is steeped in music and the Beatles has used his network of contacts - including the management of the Fab Four - to make a charity concert in memory of his son even more spectacular.
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Pete Dicks - a former presenter and producer of the Beatles and Beyond radio programme which was distributed worldwide - is organising the concert in memory of his son and only child James who lost his battle with brain tumours in January 2017 at the age of only 36.
He reached out to Apple Corps, which was started by members of the Beatles in 1968 and was amazed when a large box arrived from the company a few weeks ago full of items which will be raffle prizes at the event, in Hednesford later this month, three days before what would have been James' 45th birthday. Pete, aged 71, will also perform a song he has written for James called "You my Son."
He said: "'I thought the package was promotional material from one of the charities, but instead, the heavy box was full of LPs, CDs, Mugs, Shirts, Bags and Jigsaw puzzles, I couldn't estimate the retail value of it all, and I can't thank the wonderful people at Apple enough."
It wasn't the first contact he has had with the famous company, named after the Beatle's record label - Apple Corps sent flowers to James' funeral which was held at St James' Church Brownhills.
The concert line up features many amateur, semi professional and professional artistes whom Pete has met via his appearances at various open mike evenings and the headline act is Dan Sealey, a former member of Ocean Colour Scene,
Pete said: "James would have loved the open mike evenings, he was self taught on ukelele, piano and guitar and had a wonderful singing voice."
Other companies making donations include branches of Aldi, B&M, Curry's, Tesco and Sainsburys and other small businesses in Brownhills, Norton Canes, Chasetown, Cannock and Hednesford plus many friends of James, Pete, and his wife Janet.
A Facebook page has been set up to buy concert and raffle tickets. All proceeds from it will go to St Giles Hospice, The Brain Tumour Charity and Brain Tumour Support and it will take place at Church Hill Victoria Working Men's Club, Church Hill, Hednesford from 3-7pm on Sunday April 27.
They are also available at £10 per adult, £5 for under 16s and under 5s free, from the club or Watling Street School, Brownhills.
