Toby Neal: Glitter disgraced but music plays for some
Years ago, while on a schoolboy rugby tour, an excited voice piped up: “That’s Gary Glitter!”
Heads on the coach turned. Gary Glitter was at that time famous for being a popular music star, rather than being an infamous paedophile.
“Nah, it’s not him,” said a sceptic.
“That’s like saying it’s not him when you’ve met him in person,” said the Glitter-spotter.
We will never know. I only got a glimpse. To be fair, the coach was passing through a part of west London where you might see pop stars in the street.
Gary Glitter, which is not his real name, is now 79 and is serving a jail sentence, or rather was returned to jail after breaching the licence conditions.
It was disclosed this week that he has been turned down for parole, so he’s staying inside.
You never hear his music as stations don’t want to be seen and heard to be providing royalties for the benefit of a paedophile.
A little while back they stopped playing Michael Jackson as well after those abused by him as children spoke up. Whatever informal ban there was seems to have been lifted, as there now appear to be no scruples about playing Beat It, Thriller, and his entire back catalogue.
