OBITUARY
REMEMBERING SIMON
Tributes have been paid to Simon Morgan; Change Grow Live
recovery worker, DDN volunteer, and a much-loved member of the
Stratford-upon-Avon music scene, who was an inspiration to family,
friends and colleagues
S
imon Morgan, 57,
from Norton Lindsey,
Warwickshire, died
after a road accident on
Friday 3 April. He was out
cycling when the accident involving
a tractor happened, near Balsall
Common. He was taken to hospital
but died later that evening.
Simon was much loved by his
friends and colleagues. His closest
friend and his colleague Chris
Jennings gave us an insight into the
‘real’ Simon.
They became friends in teenage
years and stayed close ever since.
Chris was a member of The Fragiles
at the time Simon was in Domestic
Bliss and the pair properly joined
forces in The Suspects, a band that
featured in the Easter 1982 edition
of The Herald’s Focus magazine.
Simon and Chris formed The
Hop in 1983 and early work features
Chris on vocals. Chris would then
move to London, but the pair kept
in frequent touch. Chris recalls:
‘He would visit, call me and send
letters with home-made mix tapes
on cassette. Over the years we’ve
16 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • MAY 2020
Simon checks out the stage at the
Glee Club earlier this year
been through everything together,
holidays, good times, bad times and
played at some of the most dubious
venues in London.
‘He was a prolific songwriter,
still putting down ideas shortly
before the accident. He was one of
the most intelligent and articulate
people I’ve ever met. He was a
prolific journalist with exceptional
literary skills, widely recognised as
an expert in his field with the ability
to produce thousands of words
effortlessly. He was also interested
in and highly knowledgeable
about art, politics, ancient history,
megalithic remains and their
surroundings – indeed, there wasn’t
much he didn’t know about, and his
energy and output was unreal.
‘He was a musical expert and
was still listening to everything from
avant-garde jazz, pan pipes and
punk to reggae, French hip hop and
more recently, the sounds of Bristol’s
Ossia and Young Echo.’
Alongside the shared love of
music, they had been working
together in recent years for Change
Grow Live, with people recovering
from drug and alcohol issues.
Simon’s previous roles had included
being part of his father’s firm
working on exhibition electrics but
he then went late to university and
graduated as a social worker, quickly
moving into recovery work.
‘He was a key player in treatment
services and he was a pioneer,’ says
Chris. ‘He was a champion of the
underdog and was never afraid
to challenge authority.’ But at the
same time other enduring qualities
shone through to all who knew him.
‘He was also one of the most loyal,
sensitive and caring human beings I
have ever known,’ he said.
‘As Simon’s manager, I only
knew him for six months, but I
was enormously impressed by his
contagious passion,’ added Change
Grow Live team leader, Paul Woods.
‘What a wonderful guy, who had a
profound impact on me in the short
time I knew him.’
DDN adds…
For years we have been indebted to
our team of volunteers for helping
us stage the DDN Conference.
Whenever we think about this
role we will always remember
with gratitude and affection the
star that was Simon Morgan, who
cheerily, competently and without
fuss coordinated a superb effort on
our behalf, meeting and greeting
delegates, then helping them
find their way around throughout
the day. Simon’s cheery band of
colleagues was a credit to his ‘can-
do’ style and charisma. The picture
was taken in March, on a visit to
The Glee Club, when Simon brought
some of his group to look around
the venue and go through logistics
‘He was a key
player in treatment
services and he
was a pioneer... He
was a champion
of the underdog
and was never
afraid to challenge
authority, he
was also one of
the most loyal,
sensitive and
caring human
beings I have
ever known’
for the conference. We larked about
not knowing that the event would
be postponed – Simon was going
to compere the entertainment
programme and sing with his guitar.
Simon felt like one of our team
members and we will miss him very
much. We know how hard it will
be for those who called him ‘the
heart of the recovery community
in Coventry’. Our sympathies to his
family and many friends. DDN
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