http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1719000/1719140.stm
Wednesday, 19 December, 2001, 12:43 GMT
Popular 1970s singer-songwriter Clifford T Ward has died after a long illness, it was announced on Wednesday.
The 57-year-old musician from Worcestershire had suffered from multiple sclerosis for 20 years and died from pneumonia on Tuesday morning.
Mr Ward was best known for his Seventies hit Gaye and his songs had been recorded by stars such as Ringo Starr and Art Garfunkel.
Fans regarded him as one of the greatest writers in Britain.
'Great legacy'
Stephen Bagustm, secretary of his
fan club, said: "He was undoubtedly the most underrated singer and songwriter
of our time.
"Clifford T leaves a great legacy
of music that will last for as long as good songs are enjoyed by an appreciative
audience."
Mr Ward, who lived near Kidderminster,
only had two chart singles - the biggest hit Gaye reached number eight
in the charts.
But he retained a devoted following
for his albums.
Home recording
He originally trained as a teacher
and while working at Bromsgrove High School he began recording as a solo
artist for BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel's Dandelion label.
He gave up teaching to concentrate
on writing and recording at home but his failure to tour meant he did not
capitalise on the success of his records.
Mr Ward, who leaves a widow Pat,
two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren, was diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis in 1984.
He recorded his fourth and final
album Julia And Other New Stories ten years later and was reputed to have
crawled on all fours into his home studio to finish it.
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011220005153&query=sclerosis
Dec 20, 2001
Midland pop legend Clifford T Ward,
best known for his seventies hit Gaye, has died after a long illness.
The 57-year-old singersongwriter
from Worcestershire had suffered from multiple sclerosis for two decades,
and died from pneumonia at a Midland hospital.
He was regarded by fans as one of
the finest writers in Britain and his songs had been recorded by stars
such as Sir Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel, Ringo Starr and Jack Jones.
Steve Bagust, secretary of his world-wide
fan club the Friends of Clifford T Ward, broke the news of his death yesterday.
He said: "He was undoubtedly the
most underrated singer and songwriter of our time.
"Clifford T leaves a great legacy
of music that will last for as long as good songs are enjoyed by an appreciative
audience.
"His music is timeless. The more
you listen the better it becomes. So many people covered his songs and
he had literally thousands of fans worldwide.
"He loved Worcestershire and lived
and died in the county. He was taken into hospital at the beginning of
November suffering from pneumonia."
Ward came out of Ronkswood Hospital
in Worcester last week and went to Tenbury WellsHospital where he died
on Tuesday.
Although he had only two chart singles
-- the biggest of which was Gaye, which made it to number eight for 11
weeks and Scullery, which stayed at number 37 for five weeks, he retained
a devoted following for his infrequent albums.
Ward began singing with the Cruisers
and the Secrets in the 1960s and both bands were popular live attractions
on the same Midlands beat circuit thatspawned the Moody Blues and the Move.
After releasing several singles with
the Secrets, Ward decided he needed a second string to his bow to support
his wife Pat and three young children.
He trained as a teacher and became
an English and Drama teacher at Bromsgrove High School.
While at Bromsgrove he spent most
weekends and holidays writing and recording his own songs and began recording
as asolo artist for BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel's Dandelion label.
He decided to give up teaching to
concentrate on his pop career and it was just one week after finishing
school when he found chart success with Gaye.
Ward, once dubbed the new Paul McCartney,
went on to record a string of critically acclaimed albums in the mid-70s.
In 1985 he was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis but he continued
producing music from his home near Bewdley.
His refusal to perform his material
live, citing the complexity of most of the songs and bad experiences on
the road as an aspiring pop star in the 1960s, meant he failed to capitalise
on the success of his records.
He released his final album Ju-lia
And Other New Stories in 1995 and was reputed to have crawled on all fours
into his home studio to finish it.
A recent book about the ailing musician,
named by specialistmagazine Record Collectoramong the top ten best rock
books of 1999, raised pounds 7,000 to help pay for his medical bills.
Author Dave Cartwright, who financed
the book himself, ordered a second print run last year to cope with demand
after two of Ward's albums, Bitter-sweet and Hidden Treasures were re-released
by record company BMG.
Ward is survived by his wife Pat,
his two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren.
Works of Clifford T WardSingles:
1972 Coathanger (Dandelion) 1973 Gaye (Charisma) -- reached number eight
(11 weeks in charts) 1973 Wherewithal (Charisma) 1974 Scullery (Charisma)
-- reached number 37 1974 Jane (Charisma) 1975 Jigsaw Girl (Charisma) 1975
No more Rock n Roll (Philips) 1976 Home Thoughts from Abroad (Charisma)
1976 Ocean of Love (Philips) 1977 Up in the world (Mercury) 1977 I got
lost tonight (Mercury) 1977 Someone I know 1978 Gaye/Scullery (Old Gold)
1980 Convertible (WEA) 1981 The Best is Yet to Come (WEA) 1981 Contrary
(WEA) 1986 Cricket (Tembo) 1986 Sometime next year (Tembo)Albums 1972 Singer
Songwriter (Dandelion) 1973 Home Thoughts (Charisma) 1973 Mantlepieces
(Charisma 1975 Escalator (Charisma) 1975 No More Rock n Roll (Philips)
1976 Waves (Philips) 1977 New England Days (Mercury) 1984 Both of us (Philips)
1986 Some time next year (Tembo) 1987 Gaye and Other Stories (Virgin) CD
1991 Laugh it off () 1992 Home Thoughts (Virgin) CD 1992 Mantle Pieces
(Virgin) CD 1995 Singer Songwriter (See for Miles) CD 1995 Julia and other
New Stories (Graduate) CD
All Material Subject to Copyright
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?id=011220004468&query=sclerosis
The Scotsman - United Kingdom; Dec
20, 2001
THE singer-songwriter Clifford T
Ward, best known for his Seventies hit, Gaye, has died after a long illness.
Ward, who was 57, had suffered from multiple sclerosis for two decades.
Although he had only two chart singles
- Gaye made it to number eight - he retained a devoted following for his
infrequent albums. His fans regarded him as one of the finest writers in
Britain and his songs had been recorded by stars such as Art Garfunkel
and Ringo Starr.
Ward, who lived near Kidderminster,
Worcestershire, trained as a teacher after early forays into the music
world with his band, The Secrets, failed to find major success. But while
working at Bromsgrove High School he began recording as a solo artist for
BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel's Dandelion label and with the success of his
single gave up teaching. He concentrated on writing and recording at home
and his failure to tour meant he failed to capitalise on the success of
his records.
Ward, who is survived by his wife,
Pat, and two sons, two daughters and three grandchildren, was diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis in 1984.
He recorded his fourth and final
album, Julia And Other New Stories, ten years later and was reputed to
have crawled on all fours into his home studio to finish it.
Stephen Bagust, secretary of his
fan club, the Friends Of Clifford T Ward, said: "He was undoubtedly the
most underrated singer and songwriter of our time.
"Clifford T leaves a great legacy
of music that will last for as long as good songs are enjoyed by an appreciative
audience."
All Material Subject to Copyright
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001585609,00.html
THURSDAY DECEMBER 20 2001
THE singer-songwriter Clifford T.
Ward, best known for his Seventies hit Gaye, has died after a long illness,
it was announced yesterday.
He suffered from multiple sclerosis
for two decades and died from pneumonia on Tuesday. His widow, Pat, chose
Terry Wogan’s BBC Radio Two breakfast show to announce his death because
the DJ was a long-term supporter of her husband’s music.
Ward, 57, was regarded by fans as
one of the finest writers in Britain and his songs had been recorded by
stars such as Art Garfunkel and Ringo Starr.
His two hit singles — Gaye and Home
Thoughts — sold millions across the world and, although an infrequent visitor
to the pop charts, he retained a devoted following.
Announcing the death, Terry Wogan
told listeners: “It is an honour and a privilege to do this, and we are
all saddened.”
Copyright 2001 Times Newspapers Ltd
Songwriting
legend leaves a 'great legacy of music'
The Birmingham Post - United Kingdom;
BY SARAH PROBERT
Clifford
T Ward
BY OBITUARY
Musician's
death announced on air
BY ADAM SHERWIN, MEDIA REPORTER