Tony Wilson

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Tony Wilson bigraphy, stories - English journalist

Tony Wilson : biography

20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007

Anthony Howard Wilson, known as Tony Wilson (20 February 1950 – 10 August 2007), was an English record label owner, radio presenter, TV show host, nightclub manager, impresario and journalist for Granada Television and the BBC.

Wilson was the music mogul behind some of Manchester’s most successful bands. He was the founder and manager of The Haçienda nightclub, and was one of the five co-founders of Factory Records. Wilson was also known as Mr Manchester, dubbed as such for his work in promoting the culture of Manchester throughout his career. He was portrayed by actor Steve Coogan in Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 film 24 Hour Party People, and by Craig Parkinson in Anton Corbijn’s 2007 film Control.

Relationships

Wilson was married twice, first to Lindsay Reade and then to Hilary, with whom he had a son, Oliver, and a daughter, Isabel. In 1990 he started a relationship with Yvette Livesey, a former Miss England and Miss UK, who was his girlfriend until his death in 2007. Livesey has since co-operated with a biography of Wilson’s life – called You’re Entitled To An Opinion … – written by David Nolan and published in 2009.

Broadcasting career

After Dark

during Easter 1991]] After his graduation in 1971, Wilson began as a trainee news reporter for ITN, before moving to Manchester in 1973, where he secured a post at Granada Television. He went on to present Granada’s culture, music and events programme, So It Goes. Through the 1970s and 1980s he was one of the main anchors on Granada Reports, a regional evening news programme, where he worked with Richard and Judy among others. He continued in this line of work even at the height of his success in the music industry.