Hume Paton, guitarist with The Poets, passes away in Caribbean

May 12 2011 Hamilton Advertiser

LANARKSHIRE’S ‘children of the Sixties’ were last week mourning the death of Hugh Michael Paton.

Known as Hume to family and friends, he was a founder member of The Poets, a beat group with an enormous following across the county almost 50 years ago.

Hume, who passed away at the age of 65 in the Caribbean, where he lived, was with the group when they enjoyed chart success and appeared on Top of the Pops.

He was born on October 6, 1945, in Bellshill, second child to Mae and Thomas Paton (both deceased).

Educated at Muiredge Primary, Uddingston, and Uddingston Grammar, he left school and went into the family business of Patons Cash & Carry. The firm had shops in Hamilton, Uddingston, Bellshill, Motherwell and Wishaw.

Growing up he always had a love of music and it wasn't too long before the ‘passion’ became his way of life.

He decided in the 1960s to leave the family business, and start up a group.

With the help of some close friends, the band came together and comprised Hume on lead and 12 string guitars and backing vocals; George Gallacher, lead vocal; John Dawson, bass; Tony Myles, rhythm guitar, and Alan Weir on drums.

With their trademark high heeled boots, white ruffled shirts and black jackets with velvet collars, reminiscent of Rabbie Burns, they called themselves The Poets.

They practised regularly in the cellar of the family home in Bothwell, which had been set up to give the acoustic sounds they wanted, and began to write their own songs. Their distinctive rhythm and blues sound went down well with music fans at the dawn of the sixties’ beat music boom.

With lots of support and leg work and hassling people in the music industry, they eventually got a regular gig at Glasgow’s Flamingo club where they were the headline act and built up a massive fan following.

Recognised as being ‘ahead of their time’, it wasn't too long before they were on the front cover of Scotland's Beat News, billed as the number 1 Scottish Group.

This in turn caught the eye of Andrew Loog Oldham, manager of the Rolling Stones at that time. He reputedly spotted them on the front cover of the magazine while he was in Scotland – having eloped to Gretna Green with a young bride-to-be.

He auditioned them and signed them up. They debuted with the single, ‘Now We're Thru’ on the Decca label.

Although Beatle John Lennon described the track as “weird”, it made the charts and put the group on the way to success.

They appeared on Top of the Pops, hosted by Jimmy Saville, Ready, Steady Go and gigs in London and other cities. They also performed alongside other great bands of the era.

The Poets had success with ‘That's the way it's gotta be', and 'Baby don't you do it'.

By 1964 they were the biggest live act on tour from Scotland. Over time the group's line-up changed, and then Hume and John left the band.

Hume decided to settle down and get married.

He went back into the family business as a partner, and stayed there until the business was sold in the late 1990s and he started up for himself.

A few years ago he re-married and moved to Saint Georges on the island of Grenada, to start a new life in a place he loved. He had just completed the building of his home there and was settling in with Karen when he suddenly passed away on April 30.

In Scotland he leaves his daughter Marianne and son Jeff from his previous marriage, and of course his siblings, sisters Maureen and Carol, and brother Tommy in Australia.

Maureen told the Advertiser: “He was great fun, loved practical jokes, enjoyed life right to the end, and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

“To this day you can still hear The Poets’ music on You Tube, and to Hume's great amusement not so long ago they were asked if they would be willing to do a reunion tour in the US. Obviously good music lasts for ever.”