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92:. This proved a great hit, not least because the character was almost lifelike. His performances took him all over the North East of England, his songs sold well in cheap editions and children were singing the catchy tunes in the streets. He became well known for The Bobby Cure and Johnny Luik-Up characters.
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He never fully recovered from the injuries he suffered whilst working at Messrs Hawkes, Crawshay and Co and after only a short 5-year career his health started to fail and after a short illness, he died at his residence in
Grahamsley Street, Gateshead, on Friday, 9 September 1864 at age 30. He was
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born and bred; he wrote using the local
Geordie dialect. He will never be remembered as a songwriter of great literary talent, but he did catch the spirit of the time, giving the audiences what they wanted, and the songs themselves have stood the test of time, many being just as well known and
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At this point he turned to performing as a means of support. One of his first venues as a professional was the
Grainger Music Hall where he performed as a singer of Irish comic and old Tyneside songs. It was here that he introduced his first local song, Joey Jones. This was popular.
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as waggon-rider where he stayed for three years. Whilst working here he was involved in a serious accident involving a wagon which went out of control and crushed him. This left him with a severe injury, which resulted in his being unfit for regular (heavy or manual) work.
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is Ridley's great great nephew. Another family member, one of George's brothers, John Steven Ridley, came to fame on 10 March 1871 when he beat the
English running champion in a one-mile race at Gateshead.
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popular as when they were written. He apparently liked to be considered as a performer rather than a writer, and was well respected as such. He had a fine voice and was an artist in mimicry.
103:(number 7837) on the wall of the William IV Public House, High Street, Gateshead (built on the site of a previous building in which he lived) inscribed "George "Geordie" Ridley (1835 – 1864)"
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at around the age of around eight years, but soon moved on to The Goose Pit (The Gyuess), where he worked for 10 years before moving on. His next job was with the heavy
Engineering firm of
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Site of the "Wheatsheaf" Public House and music room rebuilt 1902 and named
Balmbras the licensee here when George Ridley first performed his song "The Blaydon Races" in 1862
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He moved on to the Wheat-sheaf Music Hall (previously
Balmbra's Music Hall, later renamed the Oxford) where he first performed his song "The Blaydon Races" in 1862.
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George Ridley was possibly the best known of all the
Tyneside performers /composers from that era. He was born in
220:; facsimile, with a new introduction by David Harker, ed. David Harker, pp. 446–9. Newcastle: Frank Graham.
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He followed this by moving to the new Tyne
Concert Hall opened by Mr. Stanley where he introduced the character
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Cushie
Butterfield & Keep Your Feet Still Geordie Hinnie, performed by Geordie Wilson at The Tranzac
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41:. He has been described by a council source as a candidate for Tyneside's most famous songwriter.
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concert hall songwriter and performer in the middle of the 19th century. His most famous song is "
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Messrs Hawkes, Crawshay and Co, one of the largest employers in Gateshead, closed in 1889.
407:"The Animals' Eric Burdon exclusive interview - Celebrity interviews - North East Life"
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on 10 February 1835, to Matthew Ridley (b 28 Sep 1807) and Frances Stephenson.
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160:"Teasdale Wilson, The City Champion" – to the air "The Happiest Man Alive"
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163:"The Sheels Lass For Me" – to the air "The Whole Hog Or None"
198:
Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs and Readings
157:"The Stephenson Monument" – to the air "John Barleycorn"
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Site of the "Wheatsheaf" Public House and music room
120:, the singer who first rose to fame as a member of
166:"Chambers" – to the air "The Whole Hog Or None"
257:"Durham Mining Museum - Oakwellgate Colliery"
218:Allan's Illustrated Edition of Tyneside Songs
154:"Johnny Luik-Up" – to the air "Sally Come Up"
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436:FARNE - Folk Archive Resource North East
151:"The Bobby Cure" – to the air "The Cure"
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56:He was sent to Oakwellgate Colliery as
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282:"The Grainger Music Hall, Newcastle"
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96:buried at St. Edmund's Cemetery.
148:" – to the air "Polly Perkins"
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62:Messrs Hawks, Crawshay and Co
496:19th-century English singers
330:"Johnny Luik-Up the Bellman"
37:". He was a contemporary of
382:"George Ridley blue plaque"
216:Allan, Thomas, ed. (1891 )
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306:Bolckow (1 January 2007),
90:Johnny Luik-Up the Bellman
231:"Gateshead Local History"
141:" - to the air "Brighton"
476:English male songwriters
446:FARNE Cushie Butterfield
356:"19th Century Gateshead"
193:Thomas Allan (publisher)
451:Northumbrian Folk Music
27:George "Geordie" Ridley
22:George "Geordie" Ridley
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188:Geordie dialect words
133:These include :
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456:Oakwellgate Colliery
111:George Ridley was a
491:Geordie songwriters
360:Thisisgateshead.com
237:on 4 December 2012
146:Cushie Butterfield
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29:(1835–1864) was a
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35:Blaydon Races
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334:the original
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169:"Joey Jones"
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486:1835 births
481:1864 deaths
315:28 February
122:The Animals
118:Eric Burdon
101:blue plaque
99:There is a
58:trapper-boy
465:Categories
340:16 January
261:Dmm.org.uk
204:References
69:Later life
45:Early life
51:Gateshead
417:13 April
182:See also
31:Tyneside
391:15 July
365:15 July
291:15 July
266:15 July
113:Geordie
241:1 June
107:Legacy
174:Notes
129:Works
419:2014
393:2020
367:2020
342:2012
317:2022
293:2020
268:2020
243:2013
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