DJ Derek, born Derek Serpell-Morris (18 December 1941 – July 2015)[1] was an English DJ based in Bristol. In a DJ career that spanned over 40 years, he was known for playing a blend of 60s rocksteady, reggae, ska, dancehall and soul. He was reported missing in July 2015 and his remains were found on 10 March 2016.
DJ Derek | |
|---|---|
 DJ Derek in 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Derek Serpell-Morris |
| Born | 18 December 1941 Bristol, England |
| Died | c. July 2015 (aged 73) |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1977–2013 |
Early life
editHe was born in Bristol, the second son of a carpenter,[2] and raised close to St Andrew's Park, off Gloucester Road. Derek was a washboard player in a skiffle group in 1956 and later a drummer in a rock and roll band, after which he spent 10–18 years working in the accounts department of the confectionery firm J. S. Fry & Sons, later part of Cadbury.[3]
DJ career
edit
Following his second divorce and resignation from his accountancy job in 1977, Derek began his DJ career "by accident" in his mid-30s, as a reggae DJ at the Star and Garter pub in Montpelier an inner city area of Bristol.[3][4][5] He moved to the adjacent St Pauls area in 1978.[6] DJ Derek became a well known regular and respected feature in Bristol's music scene, referred to as a "legend" by many sources including the city's elected mayor George Ferguson. He was nicknamed "Britain's oldest DJ".[7][8][9][10] In 2012 he received the Bristol Lord Mayor's medal for an "outstanding" contribution to music in the city.[9] Speaking to BBC Radio 4, he said he finished most sets with the Bob Marley hit "One Love", saying "It's a perfect signing-off record for a reggae set—let's get together and feel all right. So next time, people, let's get together and feel all right."[11] He MCed in Jamaican Patois while DJing.[4][7]
Derek played DJ sets at many major music festivals, including Glastonbury and The Big Chill, and places like Las Palmas (Gran Canaria); as well as regular DJ sets in London and across the UK.[4][6] In June 2006 he released a compilation of his favourite tracks titled DJ Derek Presents Sweet Memory Sounds, through Trojan Records.[12] He appeared in Dizzee Rascal's video for "Dirtee Disco".[13] In 2013 he played his final set before retiring at Notting Hill Arts Club in London on New Year's Eve, though he later played a one-off show in December 2014.[14][15] He had a passion for travelling long distances by bus to visit newly opened Wetherspoon pubs .[6][16]
Disappearance
editIn July 2015, Derek's family announced that he had been missing for three weeks, appealing for information related to his whereabouts.[17] Police confirmed that he had not used his bank account since the beginning of July, and could not have gone abroad as he had no passport.[13] He was last seen leaving the Criterion pub in St Pauls shortly after midnight on 11 July; later that morning his bus pass was used on a bus to Thornbury, 12 miles (19 km) north of Bristol.[18][19][16][20] Daddy G of Massive Attack, who described Derek as a "walking musical encyclopedia", played a club night in Bristol to raise funds for a search.[21]
In December 2015, Derek's family said that a man matching his description had been seen fleeing a pub in Thornbury following an altercation; Avon and Somerset Police said that their investigations into his disappearance were continuing.[22] Later in December, an image taken in London of a man resembling Derek was publicised. While his family noted an "uncanny" resemblance,[23] Avon and Somerset Police later announced that they had located and spoken to the man photographed, and confirmed that he was not Derek.[24] Derek's family began an application for presumed death in March 2016.[25]
On 10 March 2016, human remains were found in undergrowth near The Mall, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol,[26][27] and on 16 March, were confirmed to be those of DJ Derek.[28] Shortly after his remains were discovered, Bristol police said they were not treating his death as suspicious.[29][30]
Tributes
editDuring the 6 Music festival hosted by the BBC in Bristol in February 2016, Don Letts and Daddy G premiered a snippet of a documentary they had been working on before his disappearance. Letts said they planned to complete the film as a mark of respect, as they had halted further production until his whereabouts were revealed.[31] In March 2016, Bristol pub The Farm in St Werburghs, one of Derek's regular haunts, revealed they were hosting an auction to raise funds for a mural near his home. On 1 April, contributions from Banksy, Fatboy Slim, Stanley Donwood and other local artists helped to raise over £5000 (US$6,905) towards the fund. Mayor George Ferguson revealed plans for a city tribute to him, with an official announcement to follow.[32]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Fact (10 July 2013). "DJ Derek announces retirement, confirms last ever show". Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian (23 March 2016). "The life and death of DJ Derek, an unlikely reggae legend". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Meet DJ Derek". Bristol Evening Post. 7 February 2009. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
- ^ a b c "The legendary DJ Derek". Inside Out – West. BBC. 20 February 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Niece launches social media campaign as well-known DJ goes missing". Irish Independent. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
- ^ a b c "Missing DJ Derek: Police make national appeal". BBC News. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ a b "POP / DJ Derek and the dominoes". The Independent. 18 November 1994. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "DJ Derek – 'Britain's oldest DJ' – missing". The Guardian. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ a b "DJ Derek: Police hunt for missing 73-year-old Bristol man". BBC News. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ "Bristol club night will help fund the search for missing DJ Derek". itv.com. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
- ^ "Police confirm reported sightings of missing DJ Derek". NME. 4 August 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
- ^ "DJ Derek Sweet Memory Sounds". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
- ^ a b "DJ Derek: Family and friends to search Bristol for missing 73-year-old". BBC News. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "DJ Derek spins his discs for final time in Bristol". Bristol Post. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ Jamie Grierson (11 March 2016). "Human remains found in woodland near Bristol believed to be 'DJ Derek'". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Inside Out West". BBC. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Bristol's DJ Derek missing for three weeks". ITV. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
- ^ "DJ Derek search: Further CCTV footage tracks journey". BBC News. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
- ^ "Leaflet campaign in search for missing DJ Derek". itv.com. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ "Missing DJ Derek's family's frustration at failure to find Bristol legend". Western Daily Press. 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- ^ "Member of Massive Attack to play set at DJ Derek fundraiser". ITV. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- ^ "Missing DJ Derek 'was seen being chased from pub'". BBC News. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
- ^ "DJ Derek disappearance: Photograph 'is of him'". BBC News. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ DJ Derek disappearance: Police confirm photo is not him (28 December 2015). BBC.com archive. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- ^ "Missing DJ Derek's family 'was sent online abuse'". BBC News. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Human remains 'probably missing DJ Derek'". BBC News. 11 March 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
- ^ Bristol Post[permanent dead link]
- ^ "DJ Derek: Tests confirm remains belong to pensioner". BBC News. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ Michael Yong (14 March 2016). "Death of DJ Derek 'not suspicious' as police call off search". Bristol Post. Retrieved 16 March 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Lynskey, Dorian The life and death of DJ Derek, an unlikely reggae legend The Guardian. 24 March 2016
- ^ Craig Jones, "6 Music Festival DJ Don Letts pays tribute to DJ Derek's Bristol influence", Bristol Post, 12 February 2016[permanent dead link]. Retrieved 6 April 2016
- ^ Churchill, L. (25 April 2016). "Life-size bronze statue of DJ Derek being planned for Bristol". Bristol Post. Retrieved 9 September 2016.[permanent dead link]
External links
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