Three of the most successful songwriters in the world are this year’s Southwark Blue Plaque competition winners.
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman, known as Stock Aitken Waterman, who churned out hit after hit from a humble studio in Borough won by a landslide, with 1257 votes.
They will now have a blue plaque put up in their honour.
Between 1984 and 1993, the songwriting trio were responsible for over 200 million records sold worldwide.
All their songs reportedly began at a little backstreet studio in Borough – The Vineyard.
It was there that they famously launched the careers of Kylie Minogue, with ‘I Should Be So Lucky,’ and Rick Astley with ‘Never Gonna Give You Up.’
They also made chart successes for Bananarama, Donna Summer, Cliff Richard, Paul McCartney and many more.
Southwark Blue Plaques: Stock Aitken Waterman, the Borough-based songwriting trio
Lesser celebrated feats are their charitable ventures, including the three records that raised millions for various causes.
The location of the blue plaque is likely to be their backstreet studio, which became known as ‘The Hit Factory’, on Sanctuary Street.
A date of any unveiling has not yet been confirmed when but all three have reportedly said they ‘will be there.’
Second place was Status Quo frontman Francis Rossi MBE (450) and third was Ensign John Davis (108).
We would like to express our gratitude to all who voted and congratulations to all the nominees.
For the past twenty years the News has been proud to have been one of the founders of the Blue Plaque scheme here in Southwark and nominations are now open for next year.
The scheme came about after the News and Southwark Heritage Association tried to find a way around English Heritage’s strict criteria, that a building must be standing and the person dead for them to qualify.
The latter was not really a problem, but the idea that so much of our rich heritage could not be recognised because a building was no longer there was not acceptable to us. Much of our physical heritage was destroyed in the Blitz, but it is perhaps the 1960s and ‘70s architects who did the most damage. So, we invited Southwark Council to join us in drawing up our own Blue Plaques and getting local people to vote.
There are now well over 50 Southwark Blue Plaques across the borough.
If you wish to nominate someone for next year, please get in touch with Veronica Alden at Southwark Heritage Association at admin@southwark.org.uk