Remembering Tina Turner's legendary performance at Sheffield's King Mojo nightclub

The King Mojo, a legendary teenage club on Burngreave Road, became the backdrop for Tina Turner's memorable performance in 1966.

The club had already hosted scores of groundbreaking shows in the two years since its opening, and this event was expected to be no different. The King Mojo was an extraordinary place, managed by the young and ambitious Peter Stringfellow and his brother Geoff. The club's intimate setting provided an up-close and personal experience for both performers and audience members, creating a unique energy that permeated the atmosphere. It was within these walls that Tina Turner and her then-husband, Ike Turner, performed as their career was on the ascent with the release of 'River Deep Mountain High.'

Dave Growns, who worked at the venue, recalled: "Ike and Tina Turner were touring small clubs in the UK, promoting their single 'River Deep Mountain High.' The sound check had been very difficult, as they had to fit the 14/16-piece Revue's gear onto the small Mojo stage.”

He added: “It was a truly fantastic show, with so many musicians and singers packed onto the Mojo's small stage. The Mojo was packed to the seams, very hot and sweaty, and when the show ended, Arthur Dinky and I helped to literally carry The Iketts [which included the talented P P Arnold] from the stage and through the packed crowd back to the dressing room."

King Mojo made a name for itself by attracting up-and-coming stars who went on to become global icons. Artists like Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and the Small Faces were just four of the many acts that performed there. King Mojo hosted regular all-nighters, and revellers would attend from all over the north of England – one die-hard even used to walk all the way from Mansfield!

Peter Stringfellow always spoke of the place with great fondness, saying, “Every Saturday for three years, we had an all-nighter, but the big-name bands would play on a Friday night. Chris Farlowe, Graham Bond Organisation, Wilson Pickett, Sonny Boy Williamson, Pretty Things, Small Faces, and The Who were some of the artists we had. One of my all-time favorites was Geno Washington And The Ram Jam Band."

*content supplied by Neil Anderson.