IT was a dream come true for eight-year-old Edith Clarke of Priesthill.
The little girl was the winner of a Junior Times competition run by our newspaper in conjunction with the screening of Disney movie The Sword and the Stone.
As far as Edith was concerned the, prize was a double whammy – a party dress AND the chance to meet Freddie of Freddie and the Dreamers.
It was May 1964, and the British pop band were supporting music giant Roy Orbison at the Odeon on Renfield Street.
Orbison was a hot ticket – he was in the middle of a dazzling run of hit singles on the US charts. His latest, It’s Over, was on its way to topping the British chart.
The Odeon, too, was top of the pops on the Glasgow entertainment scene.
It played host to an impressive and diverse variety of acts in the 50s and 60s, from The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry (“First-Ever Appearance of The Rhythm and Blues King”) and the Swinging Blue Jeans to Bill Haley, The Animals, Carl Perkins, Frank Ifield, ventriloquist Arthur Worsley and even comedian Ted Rogers..
Many big stars, such as Charlton Heston and Cary Grant, appeared at movie premieres and special screenings.
Built in 1934, it first opened as The Paramount Theatre and it was a city centre landmark with its stylish Art Deco exterior and lavish interior.
To the sadness of cinema fans, it eventually closed its doors in 2006 with the heartrending message ‘Thank You and Good Night’ emblazoned on its facade.
Freddie and the Dreamers had been part of the 1960s Merseybeat boom, although they did come from Manchester.
Original members Freddie Garrity, Derek Quinn, Roy Crewson, Bernie Dwyer and Pete Birrel were a sensation and toured the world.
Some of their best known hits include I’m Telling You Now, You Were Made For Me and If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody, and they were well known for Freddie’s daft antics on stage, and their synchronised dance routines.
They played Madison Square Garden in New York with Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Searchers, and starred on TV alongside Cilla Black, Noel Edmonds and more.
Milkman-turned-pop star Freddie died in 2006 but the music plays on - The Dreamers, albeit in an entirely different line-up, still tour to this day, performing their own hits and the best songs of the 60s.
READ MORE: Sewing Bee winner Serena following in footsteps of great Glasgow dressmakers
Wonder what happened to Edith Clarke?
*Who did you see at the Odeon on Renfield Street? Some of the world’s most famous musicians performed there, and big stars often attended movie premieres there.
Get in touch with Times Past to share your stories and photos.
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here