Concert cancelled as 'oldest swinger' Fred Wedlock dies aged 67 years

FRED Wedlock is ‘expected to make a speedy recovery’, said the Clevedon Mercury report this week about a cancelled concert at Tickenham village hall.

It also added that The Lions Club of Nailsea, had re-arranged the charity event for the Children’s Hospice South West for Saturday, November 6.

But sadly the 67-year-old folk singing legend, who penned the classic hit The Oldest Swinger In Town, died of a heart attack following pneumonia on Thursday, March 4, the day the newspaper was published.

During his career Fred produced more than 20 albums of comedy ballads but he is best remembered for the 1981 song that reached number six in the charts.

He also recorded songs by Adge Cutler (Thee's Got'n Where Thee Cassn't Back'n Hassn't?) and with The Wurzels (I Couldn't Spell ****).

Adge and The Wurzels began their singing career at the Royal Oak public house in Nailsea High Street.

In November last year Fred starred in Mrs Gerrish's Christmas Stocking with local entertainer Kate McNab at Nailsea Theatre Club and was due to return for a repeat performance in May.

Fred has been performing in folk clubs and concerts since the late 1960s.

He was born on May 23, 1942, and brought up in a pub, where his first paid gig was at the age of four singing to the customers for which his fee was sixpence (6d).

Fred experimented with several careers, including teaching in the East End of London, before turning professional in the early 1970s.