TRIBUTES have been paid to a former Otley schoolboy who went on to enjoy chart-topping success.

Brian Harvey Ellison, formerly of Norwood, died of bowel cancer last week aged 65.

Mr Ellison, who in recent years had lived in the New Forest area, was a Prince Henry's Grammar School student in the 1960s.

It was while there that he developed a love of music that proved to be his path to success as a rock 'n' roll saxophonist.

After leaving school in 1968 he started his own band, which eventually settled on the name Ellison's Hogline.

A few years later, while playing on the continent with another group, he became a founding member of The Glitter Band - which went on to score a rack of hits for itself and as Gary Glitter's backing band,

Former classmate and Otley resident John Burland recalls: "The Hogline played at many venues locally, including St George’s Hall in Bradford and The Stony Lea, in Ilkley until the end of 1970.

"Then Brian went to Germany and Italy to play with a band called Root & Jenny Jackson & The Hightimers.

"It was whilst working with them that he also joined a band called Boston.

"Three members of Boston, including Brian, went on in 1972 to form The Glitter Band and the rest, as they say, is history!"

For the next decade the band charted regularly, scoring seven hit songs - six of them in the top ten with Goodbye My Love, which reached number 2 in January, 1975, their most successful.

With Gary Glitter they had 20 hits with 12 reaching the top ten and three number ones including I Love You Love Me Love.

The Glitter Band toured Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the USA and Europe extensively during the decade and also had a number of successful albums.

In the mid 1980s Mr Ellison formed his own group, The Power of Soul, which played shows throughout the UK for more than 20 years.

'Harvey', as he was known on stage, also played with other bands, including The Savages, as a guest.

Mr Burland said: "Brian moved to the New Forest area from Harrow several years ago but still continued to perform at a number of seaside resorts there with various former band members.

"He never forgot his Yorkshire roots and always said to me 'Otley holds some very happy memories of those early days, not least the many musicians that I played with and helped me along the way'."

Mr Ellison leaves his partner Rosemary, son Justin, three stepchildren and three grandchildren.

His funeral service will be held in Bournemouth on Monday, February 13 but the family plans to scatter his ashes back in the Washburn Valley, at Norwood, in the Spring.