James Brown and DP Limousines Make Headlines

July 17, 2003

Get up offa that Coventry train Jul 16 2003

Story from The Coventry Evening Telegraph 16 July 2003 by
Simon Dudman and Martin Smith

Godfather of soul James Brown was left stranded at Coventry
railway station after a nightmare train journey.

Stunned passengers waiting on the platform couldn’t believe
their eyes as the music legend stepped off a diverted train
in the city yesterday.

The 70-year-old singer was on his way to perform at a
festival last night in Liverpool and became stuck at
Coventry station, at 6pm, following a catalogue of train
problems.

His first Virgin train from Liverpool to London had
overheated and broken down, then the replacement was
diverted into Coventry because a freight train - carrying
bottles of Guinness - was derailed in Staffordshire.

Organisers of the concert and Mr Brown’s entourage tried to
hire a helicopter to airlift him to the Albert Docks, where
the Summer Pops Festival was taking place, but could not
find one.

So Wolston-based DP Limousines came to the rescue and
whisked Mr Brown to the 4,500 seater gig on the banks of
the Mersey, to arrive with only minutes to spare.

While he was waiting he delighted other waiting passengers
by chatting and signing autographs.

According to his driver, Dave Packwood, 34, of School
Street, Wolston, Mr Brown, 70, rehearsed in the back of the
limo on the way to the concert,

“He was such a nice man,” he said. “When we arrived at the
station he was chatting and signing autographs.

“We got him in the limo and headed straight for Liverpool -
the first thing he did was put his new CD on and was
singing on the way.

“It was so strange to see James Brown singing in your
rear-view mirror.

“I bet not many people can say that and I got to hear the
album before anybody else.

“I got given a backstage artist pass and was able to watch
him perform from the wings.

“It was just so surreal and we got there just in time; he
literally ran from the car to the stage.”

Shop manager Ben Hamilton, 25-year-old manager of the
station’s WHSmith store, said: “There was a group of people
around him and everybody seemed to be coming into the
station and saying ‘look there’s James Brown!’.

“I thought at first they were joking but then I recognised
him.

“He had his shades on, was sitting back relaxed and looked
really happy.

“He was here for about half an hour and seemed to be really
happy and enjoying it.

“It is not often you get James Brown sitting in front of
you.”