ZANG TUMMM TUMB ARTICLES “the first draft of history”

Personal file: Holly (Frankie Goes To Hollywood)

Name: William Holly Johnson.

Born: (Aside) Should I give my real age? (Cries of “yeah go on” in the background.) Okay then, its the 9.2.60. in Khartoum, The Sudan.

Nickname at school: Joyful Johnson. I was such a happy child.

First record bought: “Blackberry Way” by The Move. And thats the truth. It cost 7s 6d.

First concert: David Bowie at the Liverpool Empire. The date was June 9, 1973. Oh it was fab. The best show ever. He came on to all these strobes and Clockwork Orange-type theme music — weve ripped that off a few times — and he had a really fab costume which these girls came on and ripped off. It was all part of the show. Mind you I did get beaten up afterwards. I was pretty outrageous for the time, with make-up and everything.

First crush: Miss Schofield, me infant teacher. She used to wear those really woolly jumpers and fab perfume.

Favourite toy: My yellow and black leather torch. Im holding it at the moment. Ive also got an Action Man which I like and a Superman pop-up book. Id love a black Porsche.

Favourite drink: Kalua and milk. Its a tropical cocktaily drink Its coconutty. Really nice.

Favourite item of clothing: Brogue shoes. And I love a leather jockstrap, thats quite nice. Oh and I mustnt forget my pair of red roller-derby shorts. I got them in the States. I wore them on The Tube.

Previous bands: I was in Big In Japan between ‘77 and ‘78. Then I went solo, releasing a couple of singles. Then I joined the Dancing Girls who turned into the Sons Of Egypt who were then whittled down into Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Worst job: On a building site in Wapping. Really hard labour.

Favourite night out: New Years Eve ‘83 at Heaven club (in London). We performed there. The whole night was constructed to freak everyone out. First on was this muscleman. And there were all these dancers encased in the middle of the floor. At midnight they threw all this fake snow in the air. Ive never seen anything like it. Ive never witnessed that amount of energy being exerted in one night. We had a ball. I like having a ball.

Who would you like to be cast on a desert island with?: Harrison Ford. And Sophia Loren.

What have you got in your pockets?: A cloakroom ticket from an East End pub. A matchbox with nude women on it  — when you tilt it they move. I got it from Blackpool.

(cont.)
And — ooops! — a contact lens case — I lost the lens so I dont wear them any more. Receipts from Expectations, a rubber shop in the East End. A blue and pink spotted hankie. And a packet of Extra Strong Mints and my favourites, Lemon Fruitellas.

Describe your kitchen: Oh God! Its quite small, about ten foot square. Its got a little window that looks out onto the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Theres lots of red things in it. I like red things. And theres two cookers — neither work. Ive also got a washing machine — that doesnt work either. And Ive got a fab kettle we stole from a hotel.

Best thing about Liverpool: The people. The places full of really strong characters.

Worst thing about Liverpool: The unemployment.

Pets: No. I did have a Venus fly trap but that died.

Favourite clothes: Denim and black things. I like wearing suits as well — I had this gorgeous one which got wrecked in the vid. And rubber, of course.

How do you relax?: I like to do a bit of weightlifting. I also like watching TV but never have much time. I also like to go to bars and watch people. Just dead normal things.

Did you see Duran Duran at Wembley?: No.

Do you want to see Duran Duran?: No.