George Galway Aged 79
RIP 4th October 2020

Photo courtesy of George's Facebook Page
Typical of his wicked humour, George put his birth date as 23rd Dec 1905 making him 115

 
My thanks to Rae Owens for this beautiful recording of
George playing Autumn Leaves with the Chicago Teds

On 3rd October 2020, George posted this message on Facebook - "Hello folks! It's been a while since I was on Facebook. I've not been very well. Five months in hospital and NHS care since February, and trying to recuperate at home with great support from the NHS and Martin so far. I don't have much energy, and can't really carry on a phone conversation. I very much hope I can turn it all around and get better! Please keep me in your prayers".

Martin subsequently wrote, "Sadly and unexpectedly, George passed away peacefully, less than 24hrs after this post".

05/10/20 -

Laurie Cooper

08/10/20 -

What sad news, George was just about as good as it got, musically and as a wonderful friend.  He taught my daughter, who had just lost her mother, to play flute to a high standard for which she is ever grateful.

I was privileged to play with George on so many occasions I can’t even count them (e.g. Some of the wonderful stuff Julie put on).  When I used to run a jazz club at Manchester Rugby Club, George was a regular (and much loved) guest.

I’m not sure about this, but I think I may have been the last person to play with George on a gig.... 2 years ago a friend asked me to put “some jazz” on for his 60th.  After weeks of persuading, George said “ok”. A quartet of Roger Browne, Paul Medina, myself and George brought the house down!  (Someone may tell me differently)?

Top class musician, teacher and friend. Bless you George

Chris Pendlebury

08/10/20 -

I first met George sometime in the 1980s, when we were both peripatetic music teachers for Manchester Education, me for brass and George, naturally for reeds and woodwind. We both played in the Music Teachers' Big Band which used to tour the local schools. One of George's never to be forgotten tricks, often repeated over the years was to dangle the bottom half of his clarinet like a pendulum which always had his audiences, no matter what age, in tucks.

On another occasion, he told of the time when a member of the audience asked to blow his sax.
He said to the person '' Have you got AIDS?''
To which the person replied '' No.''
''Well I have!'' was George's response.

One cannot leave the subject of George without mentioning his flute playing, which my wife describes as magical and captivating. What a fulsome rich tone!  Throughout the following years, I was privileged to play alongside George in many ensembles, his impish grin never to be forgotten; a true leprechaun! RIP

Paul Medina

08/10/20 -

What an extraordinary, beautiful rendition of “Autumn Leaves, from a lovely, unassuming, twinkling man.

Very sad.

Jon Critchley

12/10/20 -

Passed on by Paul Medina, this notice on line at https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/GALWAY/4882088

"George GALWAY passed away peacefully at home on October 4th 2020 aged 79 years. Beloved Husband of the late Muriel, much loved Dad of Martin and Brian and a loved Brother of Sir James and his wife Lady Jeanne. George will be sadly missed by nieces Jacqueline and Lorraine and friends Sue, Jenny and Sylvie. The funeral will be a private family service. All enquiries to Eamonn A. Kennedy Funeral Directors, Northenden tel 0161 945 2097.''

15/10/20 -

My friendship with George goes back some 50 years. During that time we did countless gigs together and I visited him regularly at his home in Didsbury. He was a very talented musician with an impish sense of humour.

When I called him on the phone I used to say, “Is that himself”? and he used to reply”, “To be sure to be sure”.

He will be sadly missed by all his many friends and my thoughts and prayers go out to Martin and the family with my deepest sympathy

Bryan Pendleton

06/11/20 -

Just to let you know that George Galway’s son Martin asked me to speak at George’s funeral 0n Monday 26th April. I wrote a short address on behalf of all the Jazz Musicians and audiences that had enjoyed his many talents over the years. I asked for my husband Paul Bamford to make the speech for me because I knew that I would be too upset to do it myself.

George’s brother Sir James Galway played a classical piece together with his wife Jeanie on flutes and spoke about their childhood in Belfast. James played Danny Boy and then Jimmy Cricket the Irish Comedian spoke of George playing regularly with Ken Dodd and himself and of the good times that they had spent together.

Paul Bamford said that there were too many people to mention that had played with George but he was unique, a one off, never to be repeated. One of his favourite sayings was

“ Hoagy Carmichael wrote this shortly before he died , as he wrote all his tunes before he died”. Although we had heard the gag many times it still made everyone laugh.

When George’s friend, pianist Alan Howarth was in a nursing home having lost most of his memory through dementia, George visited and found him in a corner with a tiny keyboard playing a hymn. George took out his Clarinet and played the intro to a tune. Alan was straight in and played the number all the way through- It was Autumn leaves .

There are lots of stories to be told – Greatly missed our friend George Galway.

I have included 2 photo’s of my band Kings of Swing with George[Reeds], Alan Howarth [Piano], Ernie Dodd [Bass] Paul Bamford [Guitar] Mike Burns [Trumpet] and Nigel Cretney [Drums]

Regards
Julie Flynn

17/02/23 - Remembering George playing Monti Csardas on his Flute!! (Present from his brother James)We had a small French restaurant in Chinley High Peak. We had monthly Jazz evenings, had some wonderful musicians. Courtesy of Les Emmet and Martin Rodger!! Visits from Humphrey Lyttelton and Marion Montgomery.. nostalgia. 1990 ish. - Xx. Audrey.