506) Beverly McKiernan
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Monday, 15 November 2021 05:35 PM
I met Chris Black way back in the early days of Mike Pender’s Searchers when I interviewed Mike for a local radio station in Northern Ireland, and I remained a fan of the band for more years than I can remember. But most special of all was that through MPS, I got to know Chris, who became my dearest friend right up to the end of his life (which came far too soon).
Musically Chris was the consummate professional – with a balladeer voice that could perform smooth blues, and amazing harmonies (as shown most especially in his work with Fresh Aire – some of which I was glad to see is still online). But he wasn’t averse to belting out the odd rendition of Leaning on a Lamp Post (a song he did as a joke once and then we forced him to reprise it time after time…). Yes, we WERE, in his words, “the only girls who get hot for George Formby!” He was, as we all know, an amazing instrumentalist, but he was perhaps most proud of his often very complex musical arrangements.
He also had the most wonderful sense of humour and withstood our constant heckling during his shows – we had so much fun and he always managed to out-heckle the crowd – even when being pelted with assorted pieces of underwear – in fact I still have a photograph of him WEARING an item I threw on stage!! Any regular to the MPS shows will remember his intro to one particular song – “The ever-popular, never to be forgotten, and most be-OOT-ifully sung, Don’t Throw Your Love Away”! On occasion he had trouble getting that one out – in fact I think we knew the script better than he! He was a multi-talented man who insisted on hiding his light under a bushel (while at the same time he did rather love the adulation of his fans!!), but he deserved the plaudits in spades as they say! Those evenings were wonderful – the music, the dancing, and the long chats afterwards – and as for the Isle of Man where the two of us sat and talked non stop till 4 in the morning! A special friendship!
I met him through his music, but got to know him as a very dear friend. Like so many, I felt a great loss when he left for Australia, and the wilderness years when he was out of touch were so sad. In 2009 we finally get back in touch online– and the first thing he did was demand my phone number – he rang me immediately from Australia and we were on that call for almost two hours (I never did ask him what it cost him). Soon after that he came back home and what a party was had! And the following year we made our first of many trips to Oz where he gave us accommodation, food a-plenty and entertainment like you wouldn’t believe.
Our last trip was in November 2019 – we had received a message that Chris was ill and wouldn’t make it to Christmas – we went straight down – he WAS ill, but of course, he came through against all the odds. Sadly, this time there was little warning – he sent a lovely message two days before he died to me and several of his closest friends. He told me he was ill, but wasn’t in pain and he was sure the doctor had another trick up her sleeve. He was joking and sending me love to the end. Two days later his son sent me the awful news.
Our pal Chris was the kindest, most generous, funniest, most loving and most talented man I have ever met. He was there for me in low times and we shared so many laughs both in the MPS days and since. I remember the music, the giggles, feeding birds on his veranda, shopping at the Big W, 14-ingredient stir fries, bear hugs, never ending phone calls and emails – and boy did we keep Facebook busy with our messages! But above all I think his gift was Friendship. Not only ours, but the way in which he pulled people together – at his home in Oz, back in the UK, and above all online. It is only in the last few days that I have realised just how much I owe to him, with the wonderful chats I have had with people I call friends – whom I have even never met.
This is the MPS forum and I pay tribute to him for his part in that – I truly believe Mike Pender’s Searchers would never have been the outstanding act that they were without his input. But it is also important to remember that he was a very special human being too, and so many of us will be forever grateful that he played such an important part in our lives. We are lost – but I reckon he’ll be having a ball now, jamming with his mate Eddie, feeding the birds in between, and above all, laughing non-stop.
I owe him a lot. Thanks to Chris for friendship – and thanks to Mike Pender for knowing a good thing when he saw it! Mike, Chris, Barrie and Steve gave so much pleasure to so many. Life then was very good.
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