Tributes paid to Scarborough music legend Tom Davenport

Tom Davenport moved to the Scarborough 20 years ago and has been a popular performer in the town since that time.

His close friend, Jim Taylor, director of the Headland Festival and fellow musician, spoke about Mr Davenport and what he meant to the people of Scarborough.

Mr Taylor said: “It’s a cliche to say it, but Tom was larger than life, he would sing songs and play the guitar and teach people.

"He always had an opinion, and he liked to share a joke – and he always took time to listen to whatever was happening.

"When he first started, he learned to play the drums and he sang, but he developed into an all-round multi-instrumentalist.

"When he started teaching, he found something in his life that had been missing.

“It didn’t matter what his students wanted to do, singing, play the drums, learn the guitar, whatever they wanted, Tom would support them to do.

"He was unfailingly generous with his time and he had a good sense of himself and where he stood on anything.

"It didn’t matter if your politics weren’t his politics, Tom loved a good discusion about anything.

"We played hundreds of gigs across the town together, and one of my best memories is from when Tom bought his student showcase to Headland.

"He brought a child up on stage who had only been playing a coupe of months and they froze.

"Tom went and sat with them, ‘Just look at me and do it how we practiced,’ he said and the child made it through. The smile on their face at the end was one I’ll always remember.

"Tom lived for a good argument, a good drink and a good sunset – rock and roll and good times – and he never let that go.”

Mr Davenport is survived by wife Lucy and son Joss. He will be laid to rest at a private family funeral service.