Mike Ellery: Passionate Promoter of Singapore Pop

Mike Ellery With Millie Small (My Boy Lollipop)

Mike Ellery passed away on 3rd February 2015.

About MIKE ELLERY, from VERNON CORNELIUS:

 It is with great heartfelt, and mournful grief, as I write this...

Mike Ellery was the greatest broadcaster Singapore has ever known.  There was, and still is no one who has such great instantaneous abilities - suddenly picking up records and presenting a most interesting 60 minutes show! He was a great add-libber.

He knew his music - always up to date with the latest hits, well-tuned and informed with classic standards, Jazz, Broadway, Operas, Classical   Music and more!

Here was an 'Ang Moh' who was very aggressive and very passionate promoting local music.  He very much loved The Quests and maybe that's why I was hired as a Deejay without even an audition, and he'd hope in March 1969, that I could be styled as the first local personality DJ.  Like those of Capitol Radio, London.

 To me he was a very difficult taskmaster, always demanding of me, and hard to please!  The kicks he gave me were worth it, as it made me the perfectionist I still try to be today.

Lucky the many DJs who went through the "Mike Ellery School of Broadcasting"  They were and are great and different.

Mike Ellery was also instrumental with impressario Donald Moore to bring scores of international pop acts like " The Yardbirds", "Walker Brothers", " Dave Clarke Five" and "Herman's Hermits" to name a few. In addition, some of the biggest names in Classical Music and Ballet World.

 Long after he was my boss I still call him "Mr. Ellery" because he was my teacher and I had great respect for him.

I last spoke to him on the phone a month ago; he was by this time on a wheelchair after a stroke, but he was cheerful as ever, business as usual. To him the 'Show Goes On'.

 Mike Ellery - Pop Pioneer, Founding Father and Giant of Local Broadcasting, Passionate Promoter of Singapore Pop.

Copyrighted: Acknowledge Writer and Blog Owner.

Thanks Vernon for a very sincere, moving and informative piece about Mike Ellery.

Regards,
 ANDY.