The Bodyguard the musical, based on the smash hit film which starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, has started previewing at the Adelphi theatre in London’s West End before the show opens on the 6th December 2012. The show in London stars Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and Lloyd Owen as Bodyguard, Frank Farmer.
Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker.
The blueprint for today’s celebrity bodyguard was created by rock ‘n’ roll’s first celebrity bodyguard, Alf Weaver. Alf was born in London in 1935 and after a promising career as a boxer and a stint in the army, he became a music publisher before setting up the first celebrity security company, which he sold in 2000 and retired to the Kent countryside.
The First Rock ‘n’ Roll Bodyguard: Alf Weaver
Alf was bodyguard to the likes of Mike Nesmith (The Monkees), Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Status Quo and Spandau Ballet.
Alf was employed by Allen Klein, the ex-Beatles manager as a driver then as a music publisher based in London. Left very much to his own devices Alf saw a niche for protection and supplied doormen for various record label buildings and album launches at parties and record shops. Often the bodyguards supplied were postmen or delivery men who very much looked the part.
Alf himself wasn’t a tall or broad man, standing at around 5’ 8”. He witnessed first-hand the break-up of The Beatles. Somehow Alf ended up with John Lennon’s white Rolls Royce which he kept parked in garages near Marylebone.
I first met Alf when I worked at Arsenal Football Club, Alf was a mad keen Arsenal fan and we struck up a friendship. Later when I set up my first ticket agency in Marylebone, Alf shared our offices in order to try and establish his security business, called M & A (Mike and Alf), as opposed to A & M, the music publishers. Mike was a postman and Alf’s colleague.
Often members of Spandau Ballet would pop in to our shop. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Frank Sinatra by Alf, I don’t think either of us were too impressed, me being more of an Ozzie Osbourne fan rather than a Sinatra fan.
My colleague nearly gave Alf a heart attack though when he pleaded with Alf to take John Lennon’s Rolls Royce for a spin, only to return on foot saying that the dents would no doubt come out and any scratches were superficial and the garage would be in touch with the estimate. Alf was ashen faced but my other colleague was only kidding of course and had merely parked it around the corner.
In my youth through Alf I was fortunate to be invited to many celebrity parties such as Thin Lizzy, Status Quo, Queen, Iron Maiden and even T Rex where I got to meet Marc Bolan on his final tour with the Damned.
It was during Alf’s time in our offices that we were hounded by the press following the running-down of the Sun journalist during an airport pick-up of Madonna followed by incidents at Bob Geldof and Paula Yates wedding, which Alf provided the security for. Another friend of mine was a freelance photographer and begged me to give him the inside track on Alf’s movements in order that he could get exclusive snaps of Madonna. I promise I never did let on.
Alf’s colleague, the genial big Irishman Jerry Judge took over the running of the company on Alf’s retirement.
I’m not sure if Alf got involved romantically with any of his clients, but he was certainly a ladies’ man. The Bodyguard the musical at the Adelphi theatre is a romantic thriller and features a whole host of irresistible classics, including:
- Queen of the Night
- So Emotional
- One Moment in Time
- Saving All My Love
- I’m Your Baby Tonight
- Run to You
- I Have Nothing
- Jesus Loves Me
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody
and one of the greatest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.
