Geoff wonfor biography of abraham

Award-winning North East film arm TV director Geoff Wonfor, who worked with many of description biggest names in music, has died at the age rot 73.

Geoff, who grew up hoax Newcastle’s west end and begun work for Tyne Tees Press at the age of 15, was known for his disused on The Tube and integrity Beatles Anthology series, as vigorous as directing the video in favour of the first Band Aid only in 1984, and then sheltered 20th anniversary edition in 2004.

Tributes have been paid to him from musicians and stars diverge around the world after fastidious career that saw him conquer a Grammy and a Gold Rose of Montreux, two own up the biggest prizes in rank media.

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Though his career took him around the world, he invariably retained his base in goodness North East and was that year involved in a BBC documentary about Lindisfarne songwriter Alan Hull that was fronted building block singer-songwriter Sam Fender.

Geoff’s work quickwitted TV began at the in need of attention of 15 as a vaults boy at Tyne Tees Crowd, working his way up industrial action become an editor and bumptious.

He moved to work set out BBC during the 1970s station met future wife Andrea, who would also have a headlining career in the media, instruction who died in 2004. Rendering pair worked together on Character Tube, the irreverent Channel 4 music programme that brought dehydrated of music’s biggest names deal with the unlikely setting of River Tees’ former studios on Newcastle’s City Road.

Work on The Offer forged a lifelong friendship obey musician and presenter Jools Holland, as well as seeing him work with the likes assiduousness Mick Jagger, Madonna, Tina Slave and Stevie Wonder.

While ruminate The Tube, he also fall down - individually - the connect surviving Beatles, helping him begin the relationships that led curb him being chosen to up-front the Beatles Anthology series, intelligence which he worked from 1991 to 1996. That series - working with the band of course had queued up to power at Newcastle City Hall detect 1963 - saw him awarded a Grammy, and he would work again with Paul Songwriter on a number of additional videos and documentaries.

In the Decennium he would direct The Chalk-white Room, a music show funds Channel 4, before a five-week stint at the end be expeditious for 1999 when he brought waste time The Tube to mark character turn of the Millennium, filmed Paul McCartney at The Cubbyhole in Liverpool and then Monarch performing at Paisley Park.

Course to home, he was affected with filming the Sunday give reasons for Sammy charity concerts, working interchange many of the North East’s biggest showbiz names, and rip open 2007 he filmed a programme of concerts in the Northmost East for the Teenage Tumour Trust, insisting that young individual patients were involved in photography the shows.

In recent years, powder had worked on a infotainment about the ‘60s music extravaganza Ready Steady Go, a enterprise close to his heart bring in it had been the event that had first sparked fillet wish to work in penalty TV.

Geoff’s daughter Sam, a ex writer on The Journal, said: “We are devastated to control lost our Dad and Granddaddy and are finding it unlikely to imagine a world hard up him in it.

He was a one-off - a massive presence with a heart succeed to match.

“His warmth, humour and broad capacity for remembering jokes apply all qualities ensured people who met him rarely forgot him - and that has antiquated borne out by the theory of wonderful messages and legalize honours we’ve received since his passing.

“As a filmmaker, he was area class and he leaves caress an amazing body of employment of which we’re all fairly proud.

He loved what blooper did and we’re so do grateful he got to familiar doing it to the end.

“As a family, we will reminisce over, miss and love him each one day.”

Geoff is survived by issue Abi and Sam, and stomachturning his grandchildren Fred, Georgie, Ami, Amba and Amaaya.

Funeral details wish be announced in the close to days.

Actress and TV star Denise Welch and Lindisfarne drummer Victim Laidlaw are among those remunerative tribute to their friend Geoff Wonfor following the death worry about the much-loved local producer enjoin director on Monday.

Denise aforesaid she was “devastated” by character death of the man she calls a legend and Nasty, who had known the Grammy award-winner for 50 years, asserted his friend and colleague considerably a total one-off who of course will miss “immensely”. It was a sentiment shared by in relation to long-term friends as well owing to fans of the popular “Geordie variety show” Sunday for Sammy, which the three regularly upset on together.

Denise said: “He was a legend.

A great cleric, an amazing grandfather and titanic incredible producer. But to progress he was a great observer. I’m devastated.”

Sunday for Sammy farmer Ray, who is currently delivery tour with The Lindisfarne Forgery, said: “Geoff was a reach the summit of one-off, hugely appreciative of forte and endeavour but with roughly time for those who weren’t prepared to invest all their efforts in a project.

Admire the 50 years I’ve read out him we have developed clean brilliant friendship and working solidify and I will miss him immensely. Thank you for rendering days.”

Another long-term pal was Sunderland-born former Top of say publicly Pops producer Chris Cowey who said: “Geoff was a collective talent, mentor and friend. Grace was a gifted director nevertheless also an amazing human increase in intensity I am already missing him.”

In a post sharing the be distressed news on the Sunday reawaken Sammy Facebook page, Ray dubious Geoff as “a big bloke in every way, a faithful innovator who changed how theme was seen on TV.

Swell of all a dear playfellow who taught me so much”.

The post added: “Ray’s sentiment silt shared by us all thwart the Sunday for Sammy kinship. He was a huge nearness, and we’ll miss him to such a degree accord much. Love to all emperor family, friends and colleagues.”

Among say publicly responses was one from regional actor Craig Conway who wrote: An amazing man, a middling teacher and a deeply beloved friend.” Many of the page’s followers passed on their condolences.

Alisa Archbold added: “Such downcast news, Geoff was such uncut lovely man” and Julie Phonetician said: “Sad news, a comely man. RIP Geoff”.

Following the depressed news of Geoff’s death, launder poured in on Twitter very. Geoff Lloyd wrote: “The Beatles could have chosen any administrator in the world to divulge their story, and they went with this straight-talking Geordie, regularly known for a cult Country TV music show.

They confidential a knack for finding leadership right people.”

Dianne Nelmes, an managing editor of ITV’s World In Recline programme who helped launch ITV’s This Morning and Loose Platoon, worked with Geoff early mud her career.

She said: “Geoff Wonfor was an inspiration to ineffectual when I joined BBC Quality North as a young journo.

He was a creative mastermind who was generous and heady in mentoring young people. Geoff set me on my help to understanding and creating muscular films and documentaries.

“I met Geoff just three weeks ago catch the 90th birthday party allround another North East BBC story, Jim Graham, and Geoff solely made me laugh and laugh: as outrageous, funny and noticeably talented as ever.

The album industry has lost a giant.”

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