Xylophone Man RIP

In Friday's B3ta newsletter, usually home to the Interwebs funniest stuff, I received the tragic news of the death of Nottinghams funniest street entertainer, known to most as Xylophone man.

His real name was Frank Robinson who was born and bred in Cotgrave, Nottingham, where he lived until his death. Nearly every day from the late 80's onwards, Frank would sit near Marks and Spencers on a little crate and play a child's toy Xylophone. It was not the quality of his playing that made him a hit, he could barely muster 5 different tunes, but the childlike glee he would show from each repeated rendition, which in turn made thousands of shoppers smile. He even had a Christmas repotoire. Not a giant amongst men nor musicians, but there must be a gaping hole in Listergate, Nottingham where he once sat.

Personally speaking he was the only busker I ever regularly gave money to, and I am sadened by his death. It is like a small piece of Nottingham history died with him.

His death has made headlines in the Nottingham Evening Post, and there is a campaign being spear-headed by the Left Lion Nottingham E-zine to have one of Nottingham's new trams named after him. A worthy cause in deed. Here is another page with photos of Frank.

The BBC also has a tributes page to Frank, as well as an interview conducted by the aforementioned Left Lion in December 2003. There are also some vocal triutes.

Thanks for the music...all 5 tunes of it anyway. RIP Frank!

Posted by LDMA at July 11, 2004 11:34 PM