Wilko Johnson

Photos from Patrick Higgins

Emailed in by Patrick Higgins from Béziers France. More of Patricks pictures can be seen here.

I met Wilko JOHNSON a long time ago in Islington.
I found out recently he was dying of pancreatic cancer.
I am sure Canvey Island will, when the time comes, say goodbye to this local Hero, the way He deserves.
It was a great honour for me to have one my photos chosen for Wilko’s biography (p203).
Here are a few pix you can use, should you wish to.

Comments about this page

  • I was at school with Wilko, who was known as John Wilkinson then. I lived at Benfleet, and like him attended Westcliff High School in Southend-on-Sea. We took the train from Benfleet station to Leigh, then the bus to school.

    A few years ago, Wilko was believed to be dying from cancer, as the article said, but in fact doctors found that his cancer was treatable, and in an eleven-hour operation, during which they removed a 7-pound tumour, they apparently cured him. A couple of years ago Wilko was performing at the de la Warr Pavilion in Bexhill (a quarter of mile from where I lived at the time) and I and another old Westcliffian (who also came from Canvey, Kevin Mansell, went to see him play there. Kevin spoke to the minders, and we were asked up to see the band after the performance. I’m not sure if Wilko recognised us, though we knew him pretty well when we were at school. I asked him if he was going to do any more Game of Thrones. he wasn’t sure. “They haven’t written my character out” he said.

    By Andrew Dickens (26/11/2019)

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