Mr Manchester and the Factory Girl: The Story of Tony and Lindsay Wilson

by Lindsay Reade

Tony Wilson, who passed away in 2007, was a journalist, broadcaster, and music-industry veteran. Known as "Mr. Manchester," Wilson ran the infamous Factory Records and was a key figure in the stories of those local Manchester bands that achieved global fame, including Joy Division, the Happy Mondays, and New Order. As Wilson’s first wife, Lindsay Reade bore witness to the crucial early stages of his career, as well as the now-legendary years of excess and idealism that led to the birth of the era-defining "Madchester" scene. Here, Reade reveals the juicy details of the Wilsons' marriage, life behind the scenes at Factory Records, and her encounters with icons such as Sid Vicious, Iggy Pop, Ian Curtis, and Leonard Cohen. Mr Manchester and the Factory Girl is the story of a legend, delivered from the inside and unique to the author.

Genres: Music

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Spiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very valuable document of the strange goings on in and around the phenomenon that was Factory Records, and the bizarre dysfunctional matrix of relationships that centered on Martin Hannett, Rob Gretton, Alan Erasmus, Peter Saville, and Anthony H. Wilson, written by someone who was there from the beginning, and who knew where all the bodies were buried. A lot of fun, and oddly inspiring.