I’m sure I’m not alone amongst RBP contributors in mourning the death this weekend of Carol Clerk. I first met Carol in 1972 when she turned up out of the blue at the offices of Melody Maker on Fleet Street, just to say hello to the staff on the paper she read avidly each week at her home in Belfast. Charmed by her enthusiasm and probably not a little flattered, Roy Hollingworth and I took her for a drink in our local, the Red Lion at the back of the building. She was a big MM fan and no-one was surprised when a few years later she joined the staff, hanging on in there until the bitter end in 1999, its News Editor, a real pillar of strength on the ailing magazine and a fine journalist to boot.
Later she wrote four books for Omnibus which I commissioned and edited, on The Damned, Hawkwind, The Pogues and Madonna, and all of them reflected her superlatively professional work ethic. Until she moved down to Kent we saw one another about once a year to discuss projects, and I was last in contact with her in January, wondering why she hadn’t delivered a promised update to the Hawkwind book that was slightly overdue. She said she was sorry but she hadn’t been well. My God! But that was Carol – 100% professional even if she was in the throes of a fatal illness which, bravely, she kept to herself.
I will miss her a lot. RIP Carol. One of the best of us.
3 Responses to Carol Clerk
Thank you, Chris – very moved by your reminiscence. I didn’t know Carol but we were thrilled when we were able to add her work to the RBP library. Our deepest condolences to her family.
So very sorry to hear about Carol. I worked with her on Melody Maker back in the 20th century. We joined about the same time (me, her, Lynden Barber, Ian Pye were the new breed). That was back at Meymott Street, I remember her lurid pink slacks on Day 1, then on to High Holborn. My abiding memory of Carol was her fondness for bottles of warm Guinness which she drank regularly in the Oporto, next to MM offices (table on left hand side as you went in door if memory serves, where you would usually find her ensconced with a Comsat Angel or UK Sub). And omelettes, tea and Player’s No.6 in Silva’s Cafe. Her and Brian Harrigan (where is he now?) were the news team. As the Ramones come up on shuffle, I remember Carol’s fondness for the band and her squealing delight at finally meeting Joey. I stayed with her family in Belfast and she made a point of escorting me down Cyprus Avenue. Another good ‘un gone. I have very fond memories of Carol. There seems to be too much of this sad news, we should make more of an effort to keep in touch with the living. A sad start to the week…
For those who’d like to visit it, Carol’s husband Nigel has set up a Facebook tribute for her at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=406898639224