Commemoration for ‘Northern Soul’ Originator with Blue Plaque

The individual credited with coining the phrase “Northern Soul” is set to be honored with the installation of a blue plaque in Sheffield. Dave Godin, born in London in 1936 but who moved to Sheffield for his studies in the 1980s, is also recognized for introducing Tamla Motown to the UK. Chris Rogers, who has championed a tribute in Sheffield for Mr. Godin, who passed away in 2004, for 15 years, asserted that his cultural contribution “should be recognised and celebrated.” The plaque is scheduled for unveiling on Sunday at the former premises of The Anvil, an arts cinema that Mr. Godin advocated for and managed for many years. The Anvil was the first council-run arts cinema outside London and was well-known for showcasing independent films throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Mr. Rogers, a Sheffield resident, explained that while Mr. Godin owned the Soul City record shop in Deptford, London, he observed that individuals from northern England, often football supporters following their teams to matches in the capital, frequented his store specifically seeking high-energy Soul music by black American artists. Consequently, Mr. Godin instructed his staff not to spend time suggesting other varieties of Soul records to these customers, but rather to present them with the special items he had put aside. “They were looking for a particular type of record, a particular type of beat,” Mr. Rogers stated. “He basically had a box of these records, imported direct from America, 45s on vinyl.” He further elaborated, “He referred to this box as ‘Northern Soul’, because it was predominantly the northern people who were buying it.” What became widely known as Northern Soul subsequently reached its peak in the 1970s, with DJs at renowned clubs in locations such as Wigan and Blackpool exclusively playing that style of music. Mr. Rogers mentioned that Mr. Godin was also “known as the man who brought Tamla Motown to the UK on the first tour outside of America.” He added, “He became great friends with many of the great artists, including Marvin Gaye who would call Dave Godin at his Sheffield home regularly.” Additionally, Mr. Godin is acknowledged for having played a role in the career of the musician then known as Reg Dwight, a customer at his shop, to whom he offered the chance to play keyboards for a band as a session musician. Dwight later became the global superstar better known as Elton John, and this event is depicted in the biopic Rocketman, with Mr. Godin portrayed by actor Aston McAuley. Moving to South Yorkshire in the mid-1980s to study film as a mature student and subsequently settling in Sheffield, Mr. Godin also made a significant contribution to culture in his adopted city, Mr. Rogers noted. Film was one of Mr. Godin’s major passions, and he lobbied for and later managed The Anvil Civic Cinema in Sheffield, Mr. Rogers clarified. Mr. Rogers said: “A long-term vegan, he became a tireless campaigner against cruelty to animals in film production, demonstrated against film censorship and protested with numerous anarchist and anti-capitalist organisations.” The blue plaque commemorating Mr. Godin’s life and achievements, which was financed by Terry Lee, a Sheffield businessman and DJ, is set to be unveiled at the former site of The Anvil on Charter Row at 15:00 GMT on Sunday. Mr. Rogers, who now resides in France, indicated that the event would mark the culmination of an extensive campaign to recognize Mr. Godin’s achievements, a campaign that had even attracted prominent supporters such as Martha Reeves, of the famous Motown group Martha and the Vandellas. Mr. Rogers reiterated, “His contribution to British and American culture should be recognised and celebrated.”