User:Wombat0121/Birmingham Heart Beat Concert 1986

On Saturday March, 15th 1986 a charity concert called "Heart Beat 86" was staged at Birmingham`s National Exhibition Center arena in England,which was organised by Bev Bevan the drummer in the Electric Light Orchestra  to raise money  for  the Birmingham Children's Hospital. This sold-out concert with tickets costing £15.50 each (£12.00 been a voluntary donation) was to take it`s place among the most successful  events in British rock music history, with names such as George Harrison,from The Beatles and Robert Plant from Led Zepplin taking part in the show.

The concert started at 3.00pm with musicians and bands mostly from Birmingham performing until late into the evening.The concert saw performances from Steve Gibbons,The Rockin' Berries,The Move,The Applejacks, The Fortunes, Roy Wood,Denny Laine from "Paul Mccartney and Wings (band), Robert Plant,UB40,Moody Blues,ELO,and a finale with George Harrison.

There were many highlights in show which included the following; Roy Wood performing his festive hit "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day". Denny Laine at his piano singing "Go Now" and also performing the "biggest" selling British hit single of the 1970`s "Mull of Kintyre" which he co wrote with Paul Mccartney from The Beatles, Robert Plant performing with the group Big Town Playboys. UB40 with the song "Red Red Wine". The Moody Blues doing "Nights In White Satin". ELO with their barnstorming rock song "Don`t Bring Me Down",and the Live Aid style finale with George Harrison and all the artists on stage jamming to such songs as "Money (That's What I Want)"

Comperes for the show were Birmingham born comedian Jasper Carrott and Peter Powell (disc jockey),with appearance by Noddy Holder lead singer with another local  rock band Slade,and Jim Davidson (comedian).

In the concert programme there is a good will message from the Live Aid founder Bob Geldof.which finished with him writing "I send you all very best of luck and hope that you achieve your aims"

This concert was the second large charity event to be staged in Birmingham during the early/mid 1980`s,with Duran Duran`s charity concert at Aston Villa football ground 1983 been the other fund raising show. In the coming years after the "Heart Beat 86" concert Jeff Lynne the lead singer with ELO who`s friendship with George Harrison would see them both becoming  members of the supergroup the Travelling Wilburys  and  he would also produced  some new Beatles songs from old John Lennon rough demos such as "Real Love (John Lennon song)" and  "Free As A Bird with Paul Mccartney,Ringo Starr and  George Harrison.