I attended the Earls Court concert in 1983 where Rod fan Colin Jones had his tragic accident, I know many other SMILER’s John Gray, Dom Murphy and other long time SMILER’s were also in attendance, We all knew something bad had happened but it was only the next day we found out about Colin’s fall, We and many other SMILER members sent get well cards and messages to Colin in hope that everything would turn out well and Colin’s girlfriend Pat kept us up to date with Colin’s progress, many of you will know what happened next, for those who don’t please carry on reading and hear the story of Somebody Special.
On June 9th I received an email from Colin’s sister Jean to let us know Colin had passed away, I spoke with other team members about putting up a small tribute from SMILER as Colin was here from the very start..The Rod Squad days,
We decided nobody could tell Colin’s story like Pat could, so we asked her if she would share his story with other Rod fans and she kindly agreed..here is Pat’s heartfelt tribute.
Mike.
Colin Jones, one of Rod Stewart’s biggest fans sadly passed away on 8th June 2013. Colin was a ‘SMILER’ through and through. In fact, never was there a more apt expression for anyone. Some of you will remember his accident, maybe you were even there. Some newer members of ‘SMILER’ may not have heard about what happen 30 years ago at a Rod Stewart concert at Earl’s Court.
As a tribute to Colin, I would like to tell you his story. The Colin I knew before the accident and of Colin in the 30 years since. Colin was my ‘Young Turk’ with dreams and plans that were cruelly taken away from him. He wasn’t just ‘Colin the Rod fan who had an accident’. He was a really special person, so kind, so giving, so compassionate, always smiling, never ever complaining, a real inspiration.
Our story began one early November night in 1982. I was 20 and Colin was 23. I was out with a friend and we had arranged to meet another group of friends in a local pub. The pub was packed solid and we wandered round looking for our friends. As we were looking a boy stopped me and said “I’ve heard about circulating, but you and your friend are ridicules’. I looked at this guy and thought ‘no way’. So as I walked away, I gave a throw away comment that was to change my life forever. Looking him up and down I said “Unless you’re Rod Stewart, I ain’t interested. (Looking back now, who did I think I was, but that’s youth for you). The guy grabbed my arm and said “You want Rod Stewart?.. Colin, come here”. So began our brief romance, our all too brief soulmate friendship and a life time connection. Needless to say, Colin and I spent the rest of the night talking about Rod. Our friends forgotten (mine anyway). When last orders were called, Colin walked me to a cab and I gave him my phone number. Colin phoned me on the Sunday, I was so shy and nervous, as much as I wanted to go out, it took him ages to get me to agree. Finally we arranged to go the following Wednesday. I was to meet him at Mile End Station. I arrived early with a million butterflies in my stomach. At the time I didn’t know the family trait of lateness. I waited and waited. The butterflies disappeared as I began to think he wasn’t coming, then there he was, blonde spiky hair and a smile that just melted my heart. Off we went. I talked and talked and talked. Colin did manage to get a few words in now and then and at the end of the night, to my amazement, when he walked me home he asked me for another date. Our romance had begun.
At the time I worked in an office and Colin was a student studying to become a Chartered Accountant. He had only a few more exams to take, then he would be qualified. Because Colin was a working student, we only went out once or twice a week. Sunday was our night. He used to take me to a wine bar in Covent Garden. All the other times I saw Colin we lounged about in my bedroom playing Rod (of course) and talking. We talked endlessly and about everything. Friday nights were a no no as far as Colin was concerned, that was mates night. Saturday’s I lost out again to Colin’s other big passion, Manchester United. He either went to watch them at Old Trafford, or followed then round the country for away matches. Other times I would go and watch him play squash, or sit on the park bench looking after his towel and water while he went for a run. Then we would walk through the park talking and laughing, telling each other all our plans and dreams for the future.
In January 1983 I was 21 and Colin took me to the carvery in the Tower Hotel for a meal. It cost him a fortune, especially has he had little money. On the way home we walked for a while along the river,he just had enough to get us a cab home. Life was jogging along nicely. Then in early April Colin said he couldn’t see me as much as he had to study for his final exam that was coming up. We made up for this by talking forever on the phone (My Dad moaned for England about his phone bill!) At the end of that April, one night when we went to the pictures, I knew something wasn’t right. Colin was unusually quiet, back at home I asked him what was wrong and then he broke the bombshell. He told me we were over. He said we both wanted different things in life and our paths weren’t going in the same direction, so it was best we finished before we were in too deep. I was already in too deep; totally in love with my version of Rod Stewart. I was heartbroken. We talked and I cried long into the early hours. Me trying to change his mind; Colin staying stead fast in his decision to break up. He was too young and wanted to do so many things in his life. God, he even wanted to live in America. None of his plans included a girlfriend tagging along. Rod played in the background as we went round in circles and Colin tried his best to comfort me. He even played me Rod’s “Somebody Special” telling me my someone special was waiting for me. 30 years later that song still brings on the tears even though it turned out to be true. I was devastated. I just couldn’t stop crying. Determined not to ring him, I waited by the phone willing it to ring and be Colin. Sunday it did ring and it was Colin. He had rung to see how I was. (I didn’t know until years later that he was really upset too). He asked me if I wanted to go to Covent Garden just as friends. My pride didn’t stand a chance. It wasn’t going to be easy, but if I could only have Colin as friend, then so be it, it was better than nothing at all. We basically carried on as before but with no strings, no promises. Colin wasn’t going to change his mind about us. We still went to Covent Garden every Sunday. We went to Brighton for a weekend, even babysat my friend flat for a week.
At the beginning of June that year (’83) we made plans to go to see Rod in Holland. I was so excited, Rod and Colin in the same place, heaven. However it was not to be.Colin’s Dad went into hospital literally just as we were due to set off. It was touch and go with his Dad so obviously Holland never happened.
A few weeks later Rod was performing at Earl’s Court. Colin had tickets for all three nights and to make up for losing out on the Holland trip he said he would take me on last night.We never got to that one either. On the first night Saturday 25th June Colin had his accident. Colin and his friends had back row seats. There was a curtain at the back and they thought it covered a wall or some sort of support. It didn’t. Colin fell almost 40ft. He was rushed to Hammersmith Hospital and put in intensive care. I stayed there with his family. Colin was in a coma and we all hoped and prayed that he would pull through. For three long months we waited for Colin to come back to us. He did pull through, but not as we had hoped for. At first Colin was Colin. Battered and full of tubes, but he let us know he wanted to listen to Rod. we brought him up a tape recorder and taped all Rod’s albums for him. I carried on working, coming straight back to the hospital at night. During this time I tried to get a tape from Rod with a message for Colin. It took me forever and by the time I got it, Colin had suffered a massive fit and it was now confirmed that he had irreversible brain damage. The tape finally arrived and I rushed from work to the hospital to play it to him.
I can still remember sitting by his side with his Mum when we played the tape, Colin seemed to rally round. It was a wonderful moment that neither me or his Mum will ever forget. Colin and his family’s lives change forever. Colin’s dreams and plans were gone. He was confined to a wheelchair. The part of his brain connected to his short term memory was forever gone. He could remember things before his accident, but nothing after, for example: The day Rod first went to see him, Colin almost leaped out of his wheelchair – two minutes after Rod had left, Colin could no longer remember he had been. Almost seven years after the accident the case was settled out of court and Rod’s people arranged for Rod to come and visit Colin at his home in Bethnal Green. It was just after Christmas and Rod arrived. When he went into the living room and Colin saw him, his face lit up. He nearly leaped out of his chair and screamed ‘Rod, Rod’. It was wonderful to see Colin so happy. Rod gave the Sun newspaper their story then asked them to leave. He then stayed with Colin and his family for ages, even taking everyone over to the local pub. Rod then arranged for Colin and his family to visit him at his home in Epping. We went a week later and it is a day his family will never forget. Rod’s generosity towards Colin was amazing and Colin’s Mum could never thank him enough. It was Rod who pushed Colin around his home and his stables. Rod endlessly (and I mean endlessly) posed for us to take photos. He gave Colin his Maggie May gold disc and a few years later visited Colin again with his new bride Rachel and gave him a wedding photo in a silver frame. Rod even offered Colin’s Mum and Dad a holiday in his Spanish home offering to pay for a round the clock nurse. Although Colin’s Mum never took it up.
The years rolled on and Colin remained the same, always smiling, never complaining despite being hospitalised many times when he had a massive fit. He also endured endless operations to straighten his feet that had gone inwards due to him not walking. During all of this time his wonderfully amazing family had been right by his side. Especially his lovely Mum Pat. She had been his constant nurse and carer and looked after his every need 24/7. He could never have had a better carer. His family of three brothers, Jimmy, David and Raymond, and little sister Jean, have all gotten on with their own lives. As Rod’s latest CD Time; the track says ‘Time waits for no one’ and time rolled on for them. They have all stayed close to Colin and his Mum. Fifteen years ago Colin’s Dad passed away, just after the death of Colin’s Nanny Lou who had lived with them too. In recent weeks Colin had not been well and was in hospital. On Thursday 6th June the doctors asked to see his family. We were told that Colin did not have gall stones as we were lead to believe. He had cancer of the liver and it was terminal. He only had weeks to live. The doctor said he was just unlucky. That has to be the biggest understatement of the decade. Our lovely SMILER Colin had been the unluckiest person ever and this was the final blow. Colin didn’t even have weeks, in that he was lucky. Two days later he passed away with all his family at his side. He was still smiling even at the end.
At Colin’s funeral, as his coffin entered the church he had ‘Baby Jane’ (the last record Rod had out before his accident) and as his coffin left for his final resting place Rod’s ‘Maggie May’ ( Colin’s favourite) followed him out. This is where our story ends. Colin is at last at peace and out of pain. He can rest now and blast Rod all over heaven. Colin was right about me meeting someone special. It turned out to be his brother Jimmy. We have been married 26 years and have three boys and a grandson. So mine and Colin’s connection lives on. As I end this tribute to Colin I want to thank him for the memories and for his amazing family that I am now part of. We will always love you Colin and you will be forever in our hearts. Rest in Peace SMILER – you so deserve to.
Pat Jones