Lulu unveiled the inaugural blue plaque in the Nordoff And Robbins Music Heritage Trail yesterday at Glasgow City Chambers. 
The scheme – funded by Bill and Fiona Gordon of ScotsRock – will recognise the achievements of our most celebrated songwriters, performers and music venues.
It is the aim of ScotsRock to establish a citywide walking trail of blue plaques at locations of historic music significance, to be enjoyed by local music fans and tourists alike.
Lulu’s inaugural plaque will be placed in Union Street. In 1963, at the age of 14, she was spotted singing at The Lindella Club by a top London agent who signed her up.
 
Just over a year later, her single Shout was a UK Top 10 hit … and voted Record Of The Week on the legendary ITV pop show Ready, Steady, Go by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
 
The rest, as they say, is history.  To date, Lulu has enjoyed an incredible career spanning more than six decades and she is not planning to give up any time soon.
 
The first 10 plaques will also feature:
 
Simple Minds: The band played their first ever gig in Satellite City disco at 29 Renfrew Street. They were third down the bill to reggae stars Steel Pulse. The venue is long gone, but the site is now occupied by Felson’s snooker club.
 
The SECC: The first gig at the arena venue – in the 8500-capacity Hall 4 - starred UB40 with their special guests, Simply Red.
 
The Apollo: The world famous music theatre venue was situated at 126 Renfield Street.  It was opened with three concerts by Johnny Cash in 1973 … and The Style Council, led by Paul Weller, played the closing show in 1985. Walkabout, the Australian theme bar, now stands on the site.
 
Wet Wet Wet:  In 1994, the group recorded Love Is All Around in a studio located in a former railway arch at 7 Osborne Street. The song – used on the soundtrack of the movie, Four Weddings And A Funeral – spent 15 weeks at No. 1 in the UK charts.  The arch is now the home of Bare Bones Chocolate.
 
Postcard Records: Alan Horne launched the indie label from a chaotic second floor flat in a tenement at 185 West Princes Street.  He signed Orange Juice, Josef K, Aztec Camera and Australian duo, The Go-Betweens.
 
Belle and Sebastian: The super cool Glasgow band recorded their influential debut album, Tigermilk at CaVa Sound Workshops at 30 Bentinck Street. The building is now private apartments.
 
Lewis Capaldi: The singer-songwriter played his first headline show in St. Luke’s at 17 Bain Street.  He sold out the venue – a former church - and credits the gig as setting him on the road to stardom.
 
Texas: The band recorded their first ever songs in Park Lane Studio at 974 Pollokshaws Road.  They have enjoyed a long relationship with the studio that has played a major role in their chart success.
 
Oasis: When Scots music maverick Alan McGee walked into King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut at 272a St. Vincent Street on May 31, 1993, he could not have anticipated how it would change his life. He saw five Manchester lads, who’d blagged their way on to the bill, play a brief four-song set and was blown away. He offered the group, led by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher a record deal on the spot.  The name of their band … Oasis.
 
The Music Heritage Trail will pave the way for another exciting project, for it’s also the aim of ScotsRock to open the first ever Scottish Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in the summer of 2028.
 
Not only will the museum provide an opportunity to see how the magic was made, but it will also have a very strong educational element … reaching out to schools and colleges all over Scotland to help encourage the next generation of musicians, songwriters and record producers.
 
Make no mistake, the talent is out there.  We just need to give a platform for these youngsters to fully express themselves.
 
ScotRock has declared an interest in taking over the vacant CCA Gallery at 350 Sauchiehall Street.  It would be the perfect home for their new venture.