Stars pay tribute to Adam Faith

Stars pay tribute to Adam Faith

Faith had been appearing in theatre

High-profile names from the entertainment world have paid tribute to singer and actor Adam Faith, who has died from a heart attack at the age of 62.

Born on a council estate in Acton, west London, Faith shot to fame as a singer in the 1960s, but also went on to have an eventful career as an actor and businessman.

He was taken ill hours after performing on stage on Friday night, and died early on Saturday.

He had been staying at a hotel in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where he was starring in the Regent Theatre's Love and Marriage.

Faith, who had a history of heart trouble, leaves a wife, Jackie, and daughter Katya, aged 32.

Fellow 60s pop star Cilla Black said she had been "shocked and saddened" to hear the news.

He was the most friendly person I think I have ever known

Tony Blackburn

"Adam Faith was a pioneer in pop music and a great actor," she said.

"My thoughts are with his wife and daughter at this difficult time."

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tony Blackburn said Faith was a kind and genuine person who was also "a bit of a workaholic".

"He just put everything he had into what he was doing at the time.

'Hugely likeable'

"But the main thing I remember about him more than anything else is he was just so nice. There was no ego there.

"He was the most friendly person I think I have ever known."

Alan Yentob, is director of drama, entertainment and children's programmes at the BBC, where Faith worked throughout his career.

He was able to communicate with everybody at every level and he was respected and loved by them all

Alan Field
Adam Faith's agent

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He said: "Adam was a hugely likeable man, always exuberant and a very dapper all-rounder.

"No-one could have had a more varied career.

"A messenger boy who became a 50s rocker, a TV star-turned-record-producer who then improbably transformed himself into a financial journalist and media entrepreneur.

"The TV pantheon will surely find a place for 'Budgie', and for his many funny, moving performances as Frank Carver in 'Love Hurts'.

"We'll really miss him."

Pop pioneer

Faith's agent Alan Field considered the entertainer - who was born Terry Nelhams and later assumed his stage name - a good friend as well as a client.

He said: "Terry, or Tel, as we called him was one of the best communicators that I ever knew.

Click here to see Adam Faith's life in pictures

"It could be a taxi driver in the street or a member of royalty - he was able to communicate with everybody at every level and he was respected and loved by them all.

"He came through in the pioneering days of pop music and really was a big icon along with Cliff Richard - they were the first wave of the British version of the pop music world."

Faith's friend David Courtney paid tribute to an entertainer able to turn his hand to anything.

"Anything he took up, he would perfect.

'Show must go on'

"He would use it as a challenge and then drop it and move on to the next - from learning to fly a helicopter, to karate, to whatever - he would perfect it and then move on.

"And he was really on a very big up going back into acting on stage - it was a new chapter in his life."

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The Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - where Faith had been appearing - said the show would go on as a "tribute" to the star.

"He was a delight to work with and will be greatly missed," it said in a statement.

"After lengthy discussion with the company and his agent, a decision has been made to go ahead with the matinee and evening performances today.

"It was agreed that this is what Adam would have wanted, that 'the show must go on'."