<< BACK TO LIVERPOOL SCENE

Since its inception AndyRobertsMusic, with the active encouragement of Andy, has always tried to maintain Adrian's music, poetry and art in the public domain and we have occassionally included some of Adrian's poetry and music together with news and re-releases of the Liverpool Scene catalogue. We have however, up until now, felt unable to include any of Adrian Henri's paintings without the neccessary permissions.

AndyRobertsMusic is pleased to present new pages dedicated to Adrian's work and are proud to have been given permission by Catherine Marcangeli to present several paintings not yet seen on the world wide web.

Born in Birkenhead in 1932, but brought up largely in the seaside resort of Rhyl in North Wales, Adrian Henri was a creative force for over forty years. He achieved prominence in the mid 1960's with his best-selling books of poetry and took part in that glorious flowering of Liverpool talent in popular music, performance and poetry that had such an important worldwide influence.

Adrian Henri, Roger McGough and Brian Patten produced 'The Mersey Sound' (Penguin Poetry Anthology - selling over a quarter million copies), and helped ensure the 'Liverpool Poets' as they were known, establish themselves as the new force in British Poetry. Andy Roberts accompanied Adrian Henri and Roger McGough for the album of Poetry entitled - 'the INCREDIBLE new liverpool scene' (CBS 63045) and this led to the formation of The Liverpool Scene with other Liverpool musicians Mike Evans, Mike Hart, Percy Jones and Brian Dodson.

Adrian Henri was by training and vocation first and foremost a painter who exhibited widely, won prizes, and created for himself a distinctive niche in British art.

We have added additional pages to the site which highlight Adrian's skills and talents. Scroll down the page for further news and information on Adrian Henri and his work. Follow the links for pages celebrating Adrian's paintings.

An article written by the late John Peel in the January 2001 issue of the Radio Times recalled happy times spent in Ireland with Adrian Henri and Andy Roberts.

In 1999 Adrian Henri suffered a stroke. His friends got together to create a special evening to celebrate a special man.

To say Adrian is a larger than life character is no understatement. He is one of life's largest. This man has fronted a rock band (although The Liverpool Scene couldn't be contained by the simple words 'rock band'), is a highly respected poet, and an award winning artist. And even these accolades can't do him justice. Tonight was a celebration of and for Adrian.

You can judge the affection for the man by the guest list for the evening at Liverpool's Philharmonic Hall. You might expect people like Andy Roberts to be high on the list, after all he has accompanied Adrian for over 35 years, not only in TLS but also as one of the country's leading poets. You might also expect Brain Patten and Roger McGough to add their names to programme.

When you also hear that John Gorman and Mike McGear re-united with Roger as The Scaffold for the night you know something special is taking place. Neil Innes (from GRIMMS), George Melly contributed their particularly unique blend of music and humour.

Leading 'wordsmiths' such as Carol Ann Duffy (the nearly Poet Laureate), Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell added to the occasion and helped turn the evening into a true extravaganza of laughter, tears, sighing and singing.

There was more, so much more. In the interval, whilst we all supped our beer and wine, the bars reverberated to the sound of a choir. Tom Robinson had us all singing 'Glad to be gay' and we were all happy to be. Andy played a lovely version of '64', which was of course the number of the house he and Adrian shared during the TLS days.

At the climax of the evening Adrian was brought to the front of the house in his wheelchair and slowly and I'm sure very painfully walked onto this familiar stage. I'm sure we all thought he wouldn't be able to get those words out, but with bravery and typical determination he slowly read 'Love Is'. That rendition will always be a special moment. My eyes were moist and I'm sure I wasn't alone.

It was an extraordinary evening and I felt privileged to be there.

PAUL CARY

I WANT TO PAINT

A tape cassette of Adrian's 'I WANT T0 PAINT', read by Roger Philips, was produced to co-incide with an exhibition of Adrian Henri's paintings at the Walker Art Gallery during 2000.