Liverpool Legends Hall of Fame filled with personal items will honour city’s greatest stars

A new Liverpool Legends Hall of Fame is being created to honour generations of the city’s sons and daughters. 

Liverpool Beatles Museum on Mathew Street is preparing to unveil a permanent exhibition which will showcase personal items from some of Liverpool’s best-loved names from the worlds of music, TV, film, theatre, comedy and sport.

They include everyone from sporting superstars such as Tony Bellew, Beth Tweddle, Bill Shankly and Dixie Dean, to bands The Lightning Seeds, Cast and Dead or Alive. Comedians from Ken Dodd to Crissy Rock and Kenny Everett also feature alongside actors like Tom Baker, Ricky Tomlinson and the McGann brothers.

Around 85 legends are included in the first wave, with a second wave already planned for next year, and further inductees to be added in future.

The exhibition, which will run over three floors of the museum, is having its red carpet premiere in November and many of those featured will be on the guest list for the night.

Liverpool Beatles Museum owner Roag Best says a Hall of Fame in the city is long overdue:

“Somebody should have done this years ago but thank God they didn’t otherwise I wouldn’t be able to!

“The whole idea is to pay homage to Liverpool’s sons and daughters who’ve made the city famous, not just musicians but actors, scriptwriters, musicians, singers, athletes, everyone.

“There were areas on three floors of the museum we hadn’t used yet and originally we were going to use them to focus on the Beatles solo years, but then when we thought more about it, we came up with this. 

“The Beatles are the kings and they’re our most famous sons, no one can argue that, but there are a lot of princes and princesses, lords and ladies, that don’t get as much of a mention who also made this city great so this is about recognising them.”

The wave theme came from Roag himself, “because whenever I’m asked why I think so much talent comes out of Liverpool I always say ‘there’s something in the water’.

“We’ve used that and brought our artist in, Art Unknown, who’s been working on it and what he’s created is brilliant.”

Roag says the exhibition is made up of donations and loaned items from people and their families, as well as some pieces sourced by the museum team.

“When we spoke to the different legends and told them what it was all about, they all loved the idea. We said, ‘please give us something that you feel represents you’, either on loan or donated to us.’

“We’ve had a mixture of the two which means the Hall of Fame is a really varied mixed bag but for us that makes it even more interesting.

“Lady Anne gave us Ken Dodd’s tickling sticks, there are boxing gloves and shorts from John Conteh, from China Crisis there’s the mixing desk and drum machine they used to make their demos, from Frankie Goes To Hollywood we have a stage outfit and a guitar, and from The Zutons there’s a platinum disc. 

“Painter John Davenport worked with The Vivienne to do a portrait which he gave him. When he passed the portrait came back to the artist, so he asked if we wanted that to represent The Vivienne and of course we said yes.”

The Liverpool Legends Hall of Fame will launch with its star-studded premiere on Thursday November 20 from 7pm. 

Find out more about the Liverpool Legends Hall of Fame here.

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