Chris Hewitt

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Chris Hewitt is best known for his contributions to the music industry and in particular the North West and Rochdale music scenes as recently documented in the ITV documentary Truly,Madly,Deeply Vale and the exhibition about Rochdale Pop Music- "Rockin Rochdale" at the Touchstones Centre Rochdale in 2005.Chris Hewitt is currently researching two books on pop music in the North West the first of which should be published in late 2007. Chris lived in Rochdale from aged 12 until around age 36 with one twelve month break whilst he lived in London in 1975. Chris attended Hulme Grammar School in Oldham (Andy Kershaw went there too) but Chris was asked to leave for a more liberal establishment owing to his radical interest in rock music and his long hair. In 1971 he went to Rochdale College to study A levels and became the Social Secretary of the Students Union helping out with the Bickershaw festival and then starting Rochdale Community Benefit Concerts and then North West Community Music promoting bands like Mr Fox,Medium Theatre, EasyStreet, Bridget St John, Quintessence, Brinsley Schwarz, Skin Alley and the Pink Fairies before taking a job with Tractor (who were just about to release their second album on John Peel's Dandelion Records ) as their production manager something he still does to this day.In 1973 Chris along with other members of the band Tractor built his first of four recording studios he has built or been involved in- Tractor Sound Studios in an attic of a building in Dawson Street/ Market Street, Heywood with finance being partially provided by John Peel.Chris mixed sound for East of Eden, Carol Grimes Band and Ian Dury / Kilburn and the High Roads, and Sheer Elegance whilst working in London in 1975. In 1976 along with people from a commune living in Oldham Road, Rochdale and various other students and hippie types from Rochdale, Heywood and Bury, Chris and Tractor - Jim Milne, Steve Clayton and Dave Addison, helped start the Deeply Vale Festivals on the Rochdale/Heywood/Bury borders- this legendary music festival grew from 300 people in 1976 to 20,000 people in 1978 and 1979. Tractor Music [PA Hire, staging company and music shop] and Cargo Recording Studios [ later to become Suite Sixteen Studios] occupied from 1977 buildings on Kenion St Rochdale which would become the focal point for musical activities for Rochdale and the North West for many years. Chris still releases music on CD by musicians with links to Rochdale but is now based in Cheshire. Chris Hewitt has had multi page features about his lifestyle and record label in Cheshire Life, Manchester Evening News, and Record Buyer.