How Peter Stringfellow rose from being a Sheffield steel worker’s son to worldwide fame

Known as the King of Clubs, Peter Stringfellow will always be remembered for his flamboyant style and host of A-list celebrity friends.

However the entrepreneur’s start in life was far from glamorous. Born in 1940, he was the eldest of four brothers and the son of a Sheffield steel worker.

An unremarkable student, he failed his 11 plus before leaving school entirely at the age of 15, becoming an assistant tie salesman at Austin Reed.

His first job only lasted three weeks, and he tried a number of careers including three days as a barber and half a day as a mechanic.

Peter Stringfellow presents the Beatles at the Azena Ballroom in Sheffield, with Paul McCartney on his left and John Lennon to his right

A poster from the night shows The Beatles with top billing at the Azena Ballroom, presented by Stringfellow Bros

A poster from the night shows The Beatles with top billing at the Azena Ballroom, presented by Stringfellow Bros

In 1980, the promoter opened Stringfellows in Covent Garden in London's West End (pictured) and went on to create venues in Paris, New York, Miami, and Beverly Hills

In 1980, the promoter opened Stringfellows in Covent Garden in London’s West End (pictured) and went on to create venues in Paris, New York, Miami, and Beverly Hills

Stevie Wonder andMarvin Gaye talk to Peter Stringfellow at Stringfellow's Night Club where they performed a late night in June 1981

Stevie Wonder andMarvin Gaye talk to Peter Stringfellow at Stringfellow’s Night Club where they performed a late night in June 1981

Stringfellow went on to join the merchant navy aged 16 and travelled the world, visiting New York for the first time, before returning to Sheffield two years later.

He got a job at Dobson’s Furnishings but was later convicted of selling stolen carpets and was sentenced to eight weeks in prison, a sharp lesson which Stringfellow said put him on the straight and narrow.

Struggling to find work, Stringfellow began his first foray into nightclubs in 1962, renting St. Aidan’s Church Hall in Sheffield every Friday night.

Called the Black Cat Club, Stringfellow booked a string of upcoming stars such as Dave Berry and Johnny Tempest, proving his salts early as a music promoter. 

His big break came a year later when he booked the Beatles, with the demand so great that he was forced to rent the larger Azena Ballroom in Sheffield.

Following his early success, Stringfellow was able to open another club called the King Mojo.

Nightclub owners Peter Stringfellow and Roger How pose for a photo in Manchester in 1978

Nightclub owners Peter Stringfellow and Roger How pose for a photo in Manchester in 1978

Fashion Show at Stringfellow's Nightclub with Lee Major, Kenny Lynch ,Peter Stringfellow and Bruce Forsyth in June 1982

Fashion Show at Stringfellow’s Nightclub with Lee Major, Kenny Lynch ,Peter Stringfellow and Bruce Forsyth in June 1982

Stringfellow enjoys a New Year's Party at his West End club in 1983, by which time his career as a promoter was rocketing

Stringfellow enjoys a New Year’s Party at his West End club in 1983, by which time his career as a promoter was rocketing

Artists who played at the club included Rod Stewart, Elton John, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder.

He opened his first proper nightclub in Sheffield in 1968, followed by his first super club Cinderella’s in Leeds in 1970.

The Millionaire Club in Manchester followed, which he would sell to Granada Ltd in 1980, at which point he decided to move the family to London. 

That year he opened Stringfellows in Covent Garden in London’s West End and went on to create venues in Paris, New York, Miami, and Beverly Hills.

The Upper St Martin’s Lane venue was an immediate hit, and became frequented by international film and rock stars and all manner of celebrities, as did his subsequent clubs in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

In the 1990s, Stringfellow introduced table dancing into his New York and Covent Garden clubs, before opening an adult entertainment club – Angels – in Soho in 2006.

Peter Stringfellow with the staff of the Hippodrome in 1995. Stringfellow started in the nighttime trade in the early 1960s and recalled booking acts including The Beatles, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix to play at his clubs

Peter Stringfellow with the staff of the Hippodrome in 1995. Stringfellow started in the nighttime trade in the early 1960s and recalled booking acts including The Beatles, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix to play at his clubs

Nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow with some of the women he was auditioning for a tableside dancing club, Cabaret of Angels, in June 1996

Nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow with some of the women he was auditioning for a tableside dancing club, Cabaret of Angels, in June 1996

Peter Stringfellow pictured with a group of women at the Southampton International Boat Show in 1997

Peter Stringfellow pictured with a group of women at the Southampton International Boat Show in 1997

Unlike his parents – who stayed married their whole lives – Stringfellow had an eventful love life which saw him wed three times.

In an interview in 2012, he said: ‘The first time, I got married to the first girl I met when I left school, as that’s what you did in those days.

‘We had a daughter and I walked out when she was about two-and-a-half years old.

‘The second marriage lasted 24 years, but my business came first and along with that came the opportunity to have other women, and I took full advantage.’

His five-year marriage to Norma Williams, whom he married in 1960, produced a daughter named Karen.

Son Scott resulted from his 1967 to 1989 marriage to Coral Wright.

Peter Stringfellow pictured with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a Tory party fundraiser at his Covent Garden nightclub. He was a staunch supporter of the Conservatives and a party member

Peter Stringfellow pictured with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a Tory party fundraiser at his Covent Garden nightclub. He was a staunch supporter of the Conservatives and a party member

Peter Stringfellow at the Bacardi London Club and Bar Awards at the London Hilton Hotel in 2001

Peter Stringfellow at the Bacardi London Club and Bar Awards at the London Hilton Hotel in 2001

In 2009, the nightclub pioneer married 27-year-old former Royal Ballet dancer Bella Wright and the pair’s two children Rosabella and Angelo were born when he was in his 70s.

Last year, he chose his London club as the venue for his children’s naming ceremony.

In an interview with Hello! magazine, he said: ‘We were offered Westminster Cathedral, but I said no.

‘It would have felt hypocritical. None of that religious stuff sits well with me.

‘And at the end of the day, Stringfellows is my heart and soul. This is where it all happens – it’s even where I first met Bella.’

In 2015, the nightclub mogul revealed he had secretly fought lung cancer in 2008, telling only a handful of friends and family to avoid unwanted attention.

Stringfellow was also grandfather to Taylor, Jaime, Thomas and Isabelle.

Married three times and a grandfather four times over, Stringfellow is survived by his wife, Bella and four children, Karen, Scott, Rosabella and Angelo.

Peter Stringfellow with his third wife Bella and children Rosabella and Angelo in 2017

Peter Stringfellow (pictured with his wife Bella in 2012) has died at the age of 77, a spokesman has said

Peter Stringfellow (left, with his third wife Bella and children Rosabella and Angelo in 2017) and (right, with Bella in 2012) has died at the age of 77, a spokesman has said



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