It all seemed a little surreal, but it was happening in front of my eyes, so I knew it was true. Here was Esme Allchurch, a lady in her 90’s, widow of Ivor the Golden Boy of the 1958 Wales World Cup team, being cuddled by 6 foot something Cordell Broadus. Cordell, AKA Lil Snoop, Snoop Dogg’s son. What’s more Cordell seemed more bowled over by the meeting than she did!!!
If I’m honest the whole day had an unusual feel to it. We knew that there was a large party of US supporters and investors on the way to the Stadium for our game against Watford. In this ‘topsy turvey’ world of ‘AI’ you might be forgiven for not believing what you are seeing but in fact it was Cordell that had posted pictures on Instagram. There were photos of him and his crew getting on a private jet. There were photos of a Swansea themed menu card on the flight, selfies of everyone in Death Row/Legends hoodies and T-shirt. This was ‘fo real….’
Cordell Broadus and Esme Allchurch.
The night before the game pictures had started emerging online with Cordell at Gin and Juice in Mumbles. Now if you’re not into your Hip Hop you won’t appreciate the significance. Gin and Juice was the tile of Snoop Dogg’s 1994 hit on Death Row Records. I mean the pictures looked pretty dope…but you can never be sure. On the morning of the match there were more pictures of our American guests outside the Railway Inn, raising their glasses, drinking with proper Swansea fans. There was even talk of them putting lots of money behind the bar to pay for everyone’s drinks.
Saturday started with a beautiful sunrise and of course everyone was excited to be playing at home but there was definitely something extra special about the day. There was a real touch of showbiz magic in the air.
The first thing we all noticed about Cordell was how tall he is. The second thing for me was his smile and his willingness to talk to everyone. I’ve seen a lot of famous people up close and many of them will go through the motions of saying hello and smiling for a photograph but maybe look upon it as being a professional chore. Cordell was a breath of fresh air. He had time for a selfie and a word for everyone especially for Esme.
Had to be done…Mal Pope, Swansea Commentator Anthony O’Connell and Lil Snoop
Now if I’m honest I’m not sure if Esme has lots of Snoop Dogg vinyl in her record collection but when she met Cordell I think most of the chat was about football and not rap music. I think Cordell was very wise to listen to Esme because I know no finer football analyst. I think it might have been Cordell who handed me his phone to take the first selfie. After that I borrowed Esme’s phone so that she could send some pictures to the children, grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren.
I didn’t listen to everything that was said but I’m pretty sure Cordell mentioned he would like to bring his dad with him next time he came to Swansea.
As I looked at the pictures I had taken it just struck as being a strange but wonderful collision of worlds that one might never expect to see. This has happened to me on many occasions, sometimes here in Swansea, sometimes overseas.
During the Swansea Festival of Literature in 1995 I was often left a little lost for words. There was the evening that Allen Ginsberg, one of the famous American Beat Poets, came to the BBC Studios in Alexandra Rd. He was there for the festival and had given me an hour of his time for a chat. He even brought his portable harmonium for us to make some music together. We seemed to get on and he asked if I’d like to join him for dinner, an invitation I had to turn down as I was already booked that evening to MC the Oystermouth PTA Fashion show!!
That same festival led to me spending an hour or so with the Nobel Prize winning poet Seamus Heaney. It gave me an unforgettable day in the company of Harmonica genius Larry Adler. He had the remarkable ability to be able to play the harmonica and piano at the same time. Left hand piano right hand harmonica. He told stories of playing Rhapsody in Blue with the Gershwin Brothers in their Manhattan Apartment and who fell asleep at a dinner in his honour somewhere in Wine Street.
The most bizarre encounter was with Bono from U2. I had introduced him at the Swansea Grand Theatre for a special ‘non-musical’ interview but as this was a Sunday we had problems finding a venue for some post show drinks. The bar at the Grand would have been too overcrowded so the organisers decided on the Marriott Hotel. As soon as the show ended I went there directly to warn the staff. The problem was that only guests of the hotel were allowed to buy drinks. I had to book a room for us to be able to buy Bono a coke before he flew home. How I wish my phone had had a camera back then.
Miss Annie Presley, Elvis’s Auntie and Miss Becky in Tupelo MS
Away from Swansea I will always remember the touching history moment in Memphis when the Rev Samuel Billy Kyles told me about spending that afternoon in 1968 in the Lorraine Motel with Dr Martin Luther King Jr. There was that afternoon I met Elvis Presley’s Auntie Annie in Tupelo when she told me how his mother Gladys used to chase away the bullies from her beloved son.
The Rev Frank Smith who taught Elvis how to play guitar.
Maybe the strangest encounter was whilst I was on tour in Europe supporting Art Garfunkel. I had just completed my set at an outdoor festival in Berlin when a lovely American lady came up to me and said how much she had enjoyed my performance. She introduced herself to me as being Laurie (Anderson), she then turned around and introduced me to her boyfriend…Lou Reed. He was unmistakable. Leather Jacket, sunglasses and that drawl. ‘Hey man nice set’.
Chatting to John Cale, Rainbow Rooms Rockefeller Centre New York
We ended up talking about John Cale, his old partner in the Velvet Underground who came from Garnant. I had been told that Cale often himself locked in the chicken shed when he had done something wrong. All Lou Reed said when he heard that story was, ‘Makes a lot of sense now man, makes a lot of sense’.
As we have seen with other football clubs like Wrexham having some ‘Hollywood’ Glamour can really build a football club’s global reach and raise much needed revenue. Ryan and Rob really seemed to have got it right. If Cordell’s dad is anything like Cordell I have a feeling we are also in good hands.