Marrvellous way to kickstart your music career

THAT charming man is at it again. Having put one budding talent on the road to fame Johnny Marr is back for an encore.

- NEAL KEELING

The prince of the shimmering guitar wants to give a helping hand to another young Salford musician. His influence can have spectacular results as one 13-year-old learned.

John Denton was chosen last year as the inaugral recipient of the Johnny Marr Award set up to make a difference to promising musicians from the city. He used the £1,000 grant to help buy a 12-string guitar and pay for vocal and guitar lessons.

John and his band 'The Height, named after the area of Salford where they are from, then went on to headline a sold-out gig at Salford Lads Club, the Ordsall venue forever linked to The Smiths, due to an iconic photoshoot famously used inside the album sleeve for The Queen Is Dead album in 1986.

He also got to meet his benefactor in person as they OYAMAH THE S jammed together backstage at gig at The Piece Hall in Halifax in the summer where Johnny shared the bill with The Charlatans.

Now the Salford Foundation Trust, which set up the Johnny Marr Award, is looking for another talented youngster to be the second worthy recipient of the grant. The £1,000 award is open to any young person living in Salford who can show that they have the potential to make a career in music.