Gary Frederick Holton[3] (22 September 1952 – 25 October 1985) was a British singer-songwriter, musician and actor from London. He was the frontman of the band Heavy Metal Kids (1972–1977), worked with Casino Steel (1981–1984), and played the part of Wayne (a.k.a. London) in the UK television comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (1983–1985). Holton died from an overdose of morphine combined with alcohol in 1985.
Early life
Gary Holton was born in Clapham, south London, the first child of Ernie and Joan Holton, and grew up in Kennington. Whilst musically talented, and a member of a rock band as a schoolboy at Beaufoy School, Lambeth,[4] his real ambition was to act.
At seventeen, he joined the touring company of Hair, and remained with them for two years. When he left the company, his musical talents led him to front the rock band Heavy Metal Kids as vocalist.
Acting career
Early roles
Holton made his screen acting debut in 1979, when he played the character of Eddie Hairstyle in the television movie The Knowledge with Michael Elphick and Kim Taylforth. Holton did not receive much credit for this role, nor for his role as an uncredited character in the film Quadrophenia, released the same year. However, after appearing in the television series Shoestring, Holton played the lead part of Ken in the 1979 film Bloody Kids.
In 1980, he played the character of Keith in an episode of television series Play for Today, and as a minor character in the film Breaking Glass. He appeared as a minor character in the 1981 television film Tiny Revolutions, and guest-starred as Rick Sloan in the television series The Gentle Touch.
Playing the part of Wayne Winston Norris in the popular comedy drama Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Holton played a Cockneycarpenter, nicknamed "London" by Oz.[6] The character Norris liked his women, music and drink, which was similar to his off-screen personality.[6]
He landed the part, the first of the seven main characters to be cast, after he was introduced to Ian La Frenais at a party. La Frenais and his writing partner Dick Clement had been drafting storylines and working on an idea given to them by Franc Roddam, who was the director of Quadrophenia.
The first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet ran between 1983 and 1984. In February 1985, filming began on the second series. The final episode of the second series, broadcast after Holton's death, was dedicated to his memory.
The show was revived in 2002 with the original writers and all of the surviving cast members. The gap in the line-up left by Holton was filled by Wyman, Wayne's illegitimate son, played by Noel Clarke.
Other roles
While acting on Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Holton had only two other roles. He appeared in the TV series Minder, in which he played villain Barry, in 1984. He also briefly appeared in the first episode of the television series Bulman the following year. He also appeared in an episode of Shoestring filmed in Bristol.
Holton was offered the role of villain 'Nasty' Nick Cotton in the television soap opera EastEnders, but he turned down the role and it was instead given to Holton's friend John Altman, who bore a strong resemblance to him, and would go on to succeed him as the lead singer of the Heavy Metal Kids.
Musical career
Solo
His musical endeavours were confined to strict one-offs for a while: in December 1978, Holton stood in for The Damned vocalist Dave Vanian on a short Scottish tour; and he also recorded a solo single (which became a number one hit in Norway), a punk-country version of Kenny Rogers's "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" with the Boys' keyboardist Casino Steel, with whom he would later write a song simply titled "Auf Wiedersehen Pet" about his experiences in the show. Holton and Steel recorded three albums together, all of them doing well in Norway. But even the opportunity to replace the late Bon Scott in AC/DC could not lure him back to full-time rock & roll. He made an appearance on the TV programme The Tube in 1984 with a band named as The Actors, which included fellow Quadrophenia star Gary Shail on bass guitar, and they performed a song entitled "Long-Legged Blue-Eyed Blonde". In 1985 he was also briefly in a band he formed with Glen Matlock and James Stevenson called The Gang Show.
Gary was the front-man for the band, which formed in 1972. With his cockney accent, he became a popular glam rock singer. The band were discovered by former Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich front-man Dave Dee, who signed them to Atlantic Records. Their eponymous debut album was well received by the press, but had achieved limited sales. They later played many gigs with punk rock band The Adverts. On their first American tour in 1975, they shortened their name to "The Kids".
In December 1975, the group signed with producer Mickie Most's RAK label but before work could begin on their next album, Holton was sacked amid a storm of drink- and drug-related headlines. Plans for the remaining members to continue on without him came to nothing. In late 1977, Holton rejoined the band for a handful of live shows and the long-delayed third album, Kitsch. However, by mid-1978, he had departed once again and the band broke up.
Whilst the band was popular in Sweden, they had little commercial success in Britain although in 1976 their single "She's No Angel" was regularly played on BBC Radio 1, a favourite of DJ John Peel, and this led to an appearance on Top of the Pops. The lack of commercial success led to the break-up of the band and Holton returned to acting.
Holton/Steel
In 1980/81, Holton hooked up with Casino Steel, a musician from Norway and in the following years released a couple of (in Norway) bestselling albums. The duo's musical style was country rock with strong punk influences, their first hit being a cover of Kenny Rogers' "Ruby". Gary Holton's Norwegian musical career went largely unnoticed in his homeland.
Personal life
Relationships
Holton had a string of relationships in the early to mid 1970s. In 1977, he dated singer Stella Palmer, with whom he performed his cover version of "Somethin' Stupid" in 1973. Holton and Palmer got engaged on 12 March 1977, but on 2 May the same year, Palmer called off the engagement, stating their relationship was not going quite as planned.
From 1979 he was married to model Donna Campbell. They were amicably separated from 1981 and remained friends, though they were still not divorced at the time of his death.
After Donna, Holton had a relationship with model Susan Harrison who gave birth to his son Red, in 1983.
At the time of his death, Holton had long separated from Harrison and was engaged to hairdresser Jahnet McIllwain.
Death
Holton was found dead by his fiancée Jahnet McIllwain in his bed on 25 October 1985. He had died from an overdose of alcohol and morphine, with traces of diazepam and cannabis in his system. Pathologist Rufus Crompton said during his inquest at Hornsey, North London, that he would have been drinking less than half an hour before his death, and that the morphine would have made him unconscious within a matter of minutes.
Holton had a blood alcohol level of 199 mg and a morphine level of 0.8 mg per litre (0.5 mg per litre is considered invariably fatal).[7] He had been a drug user for several years after experiences through the music scene and was addicted to heroin, a habit he had quit some time after the first series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet had been broadcast. He was considering setting up a clinic to help others with their addictions.[citation needed]
Holton had considerable debts and had two bankruptcy orders totalling £61,000 over him. These debts were partly due to his not having paid tax since 1979, and also having a mortgage of £48,500 on his flat in Maida Vale, London.
He died midway through the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, but the producers used body doubles and editing of dialogue already recorded to allow the series to be completed.[8] They eventually rescripted the series, such that in every indoor scene that originally included Holton, excuses were made for his absence.
Just before his death, he had released the single "Catch A Falling Star". He had been due to star in the pantomime Peter Pan that upcoming Christmas. He was survived by his son, Red, with model Susan Harrison.
Funeral
Holton's funeral took place on 22 November 1985, with a 15-minute service at Golders Green Crematorium in London. His Auf Wiedersehen, Pet co-stars attended. His ashes were placed on his grandparents' grave in Maesgwastad Cemetery, Welshpool.
^Births, Marriages and Deaths Index for England & Wales
^ ab"Father remembers multi-talented son, Auf Wiedersehen Pet star was also a rocker with county links". Shropshire Star. 21 March 2015. p. 10.Report by Toby Neal. Interview with Holton's father, who came to live in Shropshire in 1975.
