GEOFF LOVE WEEKEND AND BOOK: PRESS RELEASE(350 words)

A weekend packed with music and film will mark the publication of a biography of one of Todmorden’s most famous sons on the centenary of his birth later this year.

Musician, musical director, arranger and composer Geoff Love, who died aged 73 in 1991, was born in Todmorden on September 4, 1917, grew up and took his first musical steps there on the way to a career which saw him work with some of the world’s top music stars and – selling more than two and a half million albums - become a recording star and showbusiness personality in his own right.

Bill Birch’s new book A Love Affair With Music will be launched amid a weekend of celebrations on Saturday and Sunday, September 2 and 3, 2017, leading up to the 100th anniversary of Geoff’s birth.

The author has granted exclusive sales rights and all profits to Todmorden Information Centre.

It tells the amazing - and vividly illustrated - story of Geoff’s parents’ showbusiness background and follows his life from his humble upbringing in the Todmorden of the 1920s and 1930s to his arranging and recording with dozens of stars, including Shirley Bassey, Connie Francis, Marlene Dietrich, Vera Lynn, Judy Garland, Frankie Vaughan and Johnny Mathis.

The book is a hard-backed limited edition.

Events planned for the Saturday include a morning self-guided Geoff Love walk around Todmorden with – at Todmorden Town Hall - a musically accompanied civic reception and the book launch in the afternoon, and a big band concert in the evening.

On the Sunday a Todmorden Town Hall tour based around Geoff is being planned for the morning, with afternoon events at Todmorden’s Hippodrome Theatre including screenings of television programmes which featured Geoff, such as his appearance on television’s This Is Your Life, and a concert by Todmorden Community Brass Band.

The weekend is being co-ordinated by Todmorden Information Centre.

Extra special thanks to Matt Jeffery and Thomas Jönsson for their kind contributions to this website... great stuff, guys