Swanage to give Blues music legend fitting send off

The extraordinary life of the founder of the Swanage Blues Festival will be celebrated with a funeral service at the town’s Royal British Legion.

Steve Darrington, aged 74, sadly died unexpectedly at Poole Hospital in Dorset on Friday 28th June 2024.

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Festival Prelude
Paul Dubbelman

Steve Darrington (left) on stage at the Swanage Legion with band mates and friends including well-known harmonica player Hugh Budden (right)

Funeral at Swanage Legion

The funeral for the talented musician, festival organiser, son, brother and father, will take place on Wednesday 24th July 2024.

Those who wish to attend are being asked to arrive from 12 noon for a 12.30 pm service at the Swanage Legion in the High Street.

The Legion is, of course, closely linked with the popular Swanage Blues Festival which Steve organised twice a year – one in March and the other in October.

In recent years, the event kicked off on a Thursday evening down the Legion, marking the start of the party long weekend that filled the town’s bars and venues with Blues music.

Following the funeral service, there will be a celebration in the Legion to give Steve an appropriately musical send off. In that spirit, those attending are being asked to wear bright and colourful clothing.

Steve Darrington and Brewer's Droop
Steve Darrington

Steve (second left) with his notorious band Brewer’s Droop which was formed in 1979. Many of Steve’s stories from those days were far too racy to publish on Swanage.News!

Festival started as a one-off birthday party

Steve, who performed with the Everly Brothers, Lonnie Donegan and played at Wembley with rock royalty, Queen, first came to Swanage for just a few days in August 2000.

He often recounted the story, that he liked Swanage so much, he extended his stay and then ended up getting a job playing piano in the old Gillan Hotel, now The Mulberrys flats, at the corner of Northbrook Road and Victoria Avenue.

It was during his first few months in the town that he met George Crane, a Blues fan, who had been a newspaper photographer in the 1970s.

He had a leap year birthday and asked Steve to organise a special party in the old Victoria club in the High Street, now Bar One – because his 29th February birthday in 2001 was so rare.

The party quickly became an annual event and over time more venues came on board and the rest is history.

‘The Big Blues Party on the South Coast’ as Steve liked to call it, became so popular that he later organised another one for October.

Steve Darrington at The Grand Hotel in 2008
Steve Darrington

Steve loved Swanage, performing at The Grand Hotel on a regular basis including on this occasion in 2008

The Big Blues Party on the South Coast

Amazingly, the festival that took place from Thursday 29th February to Sunday 3rd March 2024 was the 39th Swanage Blues Festival and it was a leap year.

Steve was a resilient man, who despite being severely disabled as a result of Polio on his sixth birthday, became a successful musician and created exceptional music festivals for Swanage involving around 35 bands, playing at 18 venues over four days.

He had to isolate during the Covid pandemic and later endure the difficulties of organising the event with so many government restrictions but he succeeded in getting the party started again.

Steve Darrington
Paul Dubbleman

A life devoted to entertaining

“Keep the party atmosphere going”

Speaking to Swanage.News in 2022, Steve said:

“I am always delighted that we have managed to keep the party atmosphere going from our very first festival in 2001 right up to now, despite all the problems of the last few years.

“It’s great that we have so many visitors who come back time after time, as well as those who come down to Swanage for their very first taste of the blues. There really is something for everyone.

“But the star of the show is Swanage itself and I am so proud that we have brought thousands of visitors into the town over the years. My deepest wish is that we get as much support as possible and stay here for many years to come.”

Steve Darrington funeral details

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