' JOE'S ARMY '

You've been great, Joe tells loyal fans SINGER Joe Longthorne has sent a heartfelt thanks to his loyal fans for giving him the strength to battle his life-threatening health problems. In a message recorded on his update telephone line the Blackpool-based entertainer promised his legions of devoted followers that he would be back out performing for them very soon. His voice croaky and weak as a result of having a tracheotomy tube in his throat, he told well wishers their prayers and support had done him the world of good. He said: "I am a lot better. I have just got to get strong now. "I was asleep for nearly a month on a support machine and it has slightly damaged the lungs, which is why my voice is a little bit weak, but it will come back. "When they took the tracheotomy tube out of my throat they said it would be about two hours before I could speak but I was singing within two minutes." Joe has just returned to his home in Bispham to recuperate after nearly three months in hospital. He suffered a bout of pneumonia after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in June as part of his treatment for leukaemia. He was kept in a high dependency unit for nearly two months and had the tracheotomy to help him breath. He is optimistic that the transplant has been a success and praised the wonderful treatment he has received at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital and the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Friends of the star, who was born in Hull but has made Blackpool his home, say he can't wait to return to the stage and thank his fans the best way he knows, by performing. He finishes the message saying: "Thanks for calling. I appreciate it, I really do. "Good Bless. I will be back on stage soon." He also promised to keep recording new updates on his recovery. The number to call is 09065 501 306. Calls are charged at £1 a minute. * A charity gala in aid of the Joe Longthorne Cancer Research Appeal will be held at the Paradise Room, Blackpool Pleasure Beach on Sunday December 18. 20 September 2005

JOE SENT HOME AFTER AMAZING HEALTH TURNAROUND 09:30 - 17 September 2005 Hull: Joe Longthorne has returned to his Blackpool home for the first time after almost three months in hospital. The Hull-born singer was discharged from Blackpool Victoria Hospital yesterday and is said to be relaxing with his dogs Labrador Kenny and Rottweiler Ben. Tour manager and best friend Zeb White said: "There was a three-week period when hospital staff prepared us for the worst. Their was one night in particular. "Joe being home so soon after being unconscious and on the ventilator is incredible. The turnaround is remarkable. As I have said before, he has the constitution of an ox. It's thanks to all the love and support from his fans across the world that he's better." Joe, 50, was admitted to Manchester Royal Infirmary on June 20 for a bone marrow transplant to cure his leukaemia. While recovering, he contracted pneumonia and spent two weeks unconscious on a ventilator. He lost three stones in weight. Joe, who was born in Hessle Road, was transferred to Blackpool hospital last Friday where he presented long-term consultant Dr Paul Kelsey with a £2,000 cheque for cancer research.

Singer set to leave the Vic ENTERTAINER Joe Longthorne could be back home within days. The singer is recovering at Blackpool Victoria Hospital after undergoing a life-saving bone-marrow transplant. Pictures released on the singer's website the first since he had treatment at Manchester Royal Infirmary show him sitting up and out of bed. Close friend Pat Mancini said the star is almost ready to leave hospital. She said: "I spoke to Joe yesterday and his condition seems to have improved very much since he arrived back in Blackpool. "I think he's hoping to be able to leave hospital either today or tomorrow and go back to his own home which is just a wonderful step. "The improvement I've seen in Joe, especially in the last week is amazing." Blackpool favourite Joe, who has battled back from a dangerous bout of pneumonia, is now hoping to be back on the stage by next summer. Mrs Mancini said: "He just cannot wait to get back on the stage. "That at the end of the day is his life. He's a performer and he just loves the show, his fans and everything about his work." Joe is expected to record a personal message to fans within the next few days which will be put on his website www.joe-longthorne. com. * A charity gala in aid of the Joe Longthorne Cancer Research Appeal will be held at the Paradise Room, Blackpool Pleasure Beach on Sunday December 18. 15 September 2005

Singer Joe heads back to the Vic JOE Longthorne is back in Blackpool. The popular performer has returned home after spending a nightmare 12 weeks in Manchester's Royal Infirmary. Blackpool's favourite adopted son has been desperately ill since the middle of June when he underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Joe suffered a setback when he developed pneumonia and had to undergo a tracheoctomy operation. But by last week he had recovered enough to request a move to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he had previously been treated for cancer. He was transferred to the hospital's MacMillan Unit yesterday and is expected to be there for up to four weeks before convalescing at home. Today via The Gazette Joe thanked his fans, friends and family for their loyalty and support over the last three months but pleaded with his legion of supporters not to telephone the hospital for condition checks. "The staff at Blackpool Vic are wonderful, but they are very, very busy so I am asking everyone to keep in touch via my website," Joe said. "I would also like to thank them for all their cards and gifts, but again if they could communicate through my fan club it would take the pressure off the hospital." Fellow entertainer Tony Jo who produced Joe's summer season show at the Opera House last year, and was due to appear alongside him in the Pleasure Beach Paradise Room this year said everyone was "over the moon" about the singer's progress. "He's a born fighter and everyone involved with him is delighted that he is back home," he said. "Joe asked last week and the doctors gave the green light yesterday. Joe knows he is in excellent hands at the Vic and he has made many friends there." And the fighting Joe has already pledged to make his singing comeback in Blackpool next year. "Obviously after what he has been through he will have to have additional treatment to get his vocal chords back to full strength," said Tony Jo. "Doctors say he shouldn't work for a year but Joe is looking at being back by Easter if not before." So confident is the singer that even before a date has been confirmed he has already auctioned two tickets for his first comeback show at the Paradise Room next year. "We raised £1,100 for the Roy Castle Cancer Appeal which was amazing," he said. 10 September 2005

CANCER FIGHT TAKES ITS TOLL ON SINGER 09:30 - 12 September 2005 Hull star Joe Longthorne is expected to have a long period of recuperation before he can return to the stage. The singer has lost three stone in weight since his bone marrow operation in June. JOE Longthorne's weight has plummeted by three stones since his bone marrow transplant. The Hull-born singer has been told it could be six months or more before he will be able to get back on stage. Medical staff are keen for him to put the weight back on as he waits to be transferred to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. But he has been warned his recovery could take many more months. Joe, 50, who has battled cancer on and off for 18 years, is in the high-dependency ward at Manchester Royal Infirmary but is now officially off the critical list following his operation on June 29. The bone marrow transplant was carried out to treat Joe's leukaemia. He later developed pneumonia. His manager Zeb White says Joe's next goal is to be transferred to a hospital in Blackpool to be near his friends and family. He is on a waiting list for a bed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and it is hoped once he is transferred he could be home within a month. Joe is unable to walk on his own but is now able to breathe unaided. Mr White said: "He is waiting for a bed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital at the moment. He has been on the waiting list for six days. "He is now off the ventilator and is breathing without assistance. "It is a slight improvement but once he is transferred to Blackpool we expect him to be in hospital for about a month and hopefully he will then be allowed home. "But his recuperation at home is expected to take another six months and he will have to make twice-weekly trips to the hospital. "He is not able to walk yet unaided and since the transplant he has lost three stone in weight and the medical staff are keen to see him regain it. "At the moment he just wants to be back in Blackpool. "He has been based there for four years and has friends and family there. It is his next goal to return there." The star is making good progress and fans continue to flood his website with "get well soon" messages. He contracted pneumonia as he was recovering from the bone marrow transplant and was unconscious for a fortnight. Although his health has improved, he is expected to need a long period of recuperation once he leaves hospital.

HIS VOICE WON'T BE AFFECTED Date : 05.08.05 Singer Joe Longthorne has made a slight improvement from last week. Doctors have told friends his voice is unlikely to have been affected from being on a ventilator. JOE Longthorne's singing voice is unlikely to have been affected despite two weeks on a ventilator, doctors have said. The singer and impersonator remains unconscious in Manchester Royal Infirmary as he battles pneumonia after his bone marrow transplant. But tour manager Zeb White today remained optimistic the performer was improving and said he should still be able to sing when he makes it through his ordeal. Mr White said: "The doctors are very conscious of his singing voice. "The breathing tube was between his vocal chords but it has now been inserted directly into his trachea under his voice box. "His voice should not have been affected." Mr White added that Joe, 50, had made a "slight improvement" from last week. He said: "Joe's flesh tones are looking a lot brighter and he's on less heavy sedation. He's still critical but I was a lot happier after seeing him last night." Mr White hopes doctors will try to bring Joe back to consciousness today. He's been sedated to help his body fight pneumonia. Joe had the transplant to cure his leukaemia. The Hessle Road star has been fighting cancer since 1988. j.boulton@hdmp.co.uk Thanks to the Hull Daily Mail for this article, link below.

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JOE UNCONSCIOUS BUT IN A STABLE CONDITION Date : 02.08.05 Singing star Joe Longthorne remains unconscious in a critical but stable condition as he fights pneumonia at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Mr Longthorne, 50, was last night awaiting an operation to move the breathing tube from his mouth into his trachea as he remains on a ventilator after his bone marrow transplant. Doctors hope to perform the procedure in the next few days, which will make the singer more comfortable when they take him off his powerful sedatives. His sisters Ann and Lizzy,Jamie and tour manager Zeb White are at his bedside. His condition has improved slightly from the weekend. Fans had planned a vigil for him outside the hospital last night but were asked to cancel it for the sake of his family.

Longthorne in intensive care Joe Longthorne Joe Longthorne, one of Britains biggest light entertainment stars, is in intensive care in a Manchester hospital, weeks after undergoing a successful bone marrow transplant. The 50 year old, who lives in Blackpool, is suffering from pneumonia in Manchester Royal Infirmary. His manager Zeb White said that the Hull-born singers condition had deteriorated in the last week. Longthorne has battled cancer for the last 16 years. Best known for his take-offs of Shirley Bassey, Johnny Mathis and other vocalists, Longthorne emerged as a major star in the early seventies. He joined the Les Dennis Laughter show, before being giving his own ITV series in the late eighties. His concert appearances throughout the UK are always sell-outs and he has several flourishing fan clubs. Monday 1 August 2005

Let's All Pray Joe Makes A Recovery FANS were today lighting candles in churches and praying for singing sensation Joe Longthorne to help him pull through his fight against cancer. The entertainer today remained in a critical condition in Manchester Royal Infirmary's intensive care unit after being struck down with an infection following a course of chemotherapy. Hotelier Pat Mancini, who is a close friend of the star, went to the Sacred Heart church to offer her prayers and light a candle. Pat, who runs the Queens Hotel on South Promenade, said she was "full of hope" the singer would pull through the setback. She urged everyone to hope and pray together that Joe would make a recovery. The Hull-born entertainer, who has made Blackpool his home, was said to be heavily sedated but not in a coma, as national newspapers had reported yesterday. Family and friends have remained at his bedside for several days. The 50-year-old underwent a bone marrow transplant last month. His recovery was hampered after he caught a chest infection which then turned into pneumonia. Joe's website has been inundated with messages from well wishers across the country, including words from fans in Hull and Blackpool, who have also sent cards and gifts to the singer. Dean James from Manchester writes: "As well as being a great singer and entertainer, Joe, you are a real fighter." Another reads: "We want a new album off you before the end of the year" and another message from Angela Dunstan says: "Here's hoping this is another fight that can be won. Get yourself better, Joe, and hopefully on the road again." Joe has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since 1988. Last year he bowed out of public life while he underwent intensive treatment, performing a last concert at the Opera House to thank his fans for their support. Doctors then forced the singer to pull out of a planned summer season show at Blackpool's Paradise Rooms because of his weakening health. Mrs Mancini added: "I am full of hope Joe can pull through." n Register your support for Joe on www.joelongthorne.com 30 July 2005

30 July 2005 JOE FIGHTS FOR HIS LIFE SINGER Joe Longthorne is on a ventilator after a bone marrow transplant, it emerged yesterday. The star, who has leukaemia, contracted pneumonia after the successful op last month. The 50-year-old, who lives in Blackpool, is in a high-dependency unit in Manchester. He has been given antibiotics to help fight the pneumonia but so far they have not proved successful. Business partner Terry Lodge said: "Joe's fight for life has intensified over the last few weeks. His survival odds have shortened even further."

JOE'S CONDITION CRITICAL AS HE FIGHTS PNEUMONIA Date : 30.07.05 Hull: Singer Joe Longthorne remains in a critical condition in Manchester Royal Infirmary as he battles against pneumonia. Friend and tour manager Zeb White said: "Joe's condition is fluctuating with ripples of good and bad. "He is critical. All we can say is Joe's a fighter. If anyone can get through this, Joe can." Joe, 50, born in Hessle Road, west Hull, had a bone marrow transplant to treat leukaemia four weeks ago. He developed a chest infection, which turned into pneumonia. Doctors have heavily sedated him and put him on a ventilator to help his breathing.

Prayers as Joe battles for life BLACKPOOL favourite Joe Longthorne was today fighting for his life. The ever-popular singing star is critically ill, having contracted pneumonia following a bone marrow transplant. Family and friends are at his bedside in the intensive care unit of Manchester Royal Infirmary where he underwent life-saving treatment in his long battle with cancer. Tour manager, Zeb White, said reports Joe had slipped into a coma were untrue, although the 50-year-old is desperately ill. He said: "Joe caught a chest infection after a line was inserted into his chest in order to administer drugs, but this was rejected by Joe as he has no immune system. "Doctors on the ward decided to sedate Joe and put him on to a ventilator, so now he is in deep sedation and is critical ut is being able to take the drugs. "A few days ago he was very bad and his body was rejecting everything. He is still very ill, but Joe has the constitution of an ox and I'm sure he will pull through." Former Grumbleweed and close friend, Tony Jo, said the next 10 days were crucial, but he was confident he would pull through. He added: "Doctors have told us that this is normal after a patient has undergone a major operation. Joe has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma since 1988 and has been sent hundreds of cards from well wishers. His website has also been inundated with get well messages from concerned fans. He bowed out of public life last year, but has made a few emotional appearances in front of thousands of Blackpool fans in the past six months. But doctors forced the veteran singer to pull out of a summer season show at Blackpool's Paradise Rooms due to the cancer. Tony Jo added: "He is in good spirits and if anyone can get through this then it's our Joe." "The good news is that the bone marrow has started to produce cells which are working, but these things are like car engines sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. "The next 10 days will be crucial to Joe in whether he can pull through this, but I and his family are certain that he can battle this as he has done with everything else. "I would ask his army of fans who are reading this to light a candle for our Joe as he needs all the support he can get over the next week or so." Pat Mancini, a close friend of Joe, said: "He is still critically ill, but doctors are more pleased with his progress today than they have been for the last week. "He has had a better night last night and we are hoping and praying that he will pull though." nick.hyde@blackpoolgazette.co.uk 29 July 2005

This story is brought to you by The Hull Daily Mail JOE'S BIG BATTLE TO BEAT PNEUMONIA Date : 29.07.05 Joe Longthorne continues to fight pneumonia in hospital following his bone marrow transplant. Stars inspired by the Hull entertainer have sent get well wishes and messages of support as he fights for his life. JOE Longthorne could be facing the final hurdle in his battle to recover from cancer. His manager says the Hull star, who is free from cancer cells for the first time in 17 years, must now win his fight against pneumonia. It comes as messages continue to pour in for the singer as he remains unconscious in a high dependency unit at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Joe, 50, is on a ventilator after his body was struck by pneumonia, four weeks after the bone marrow transplant it was hoped would cure his leukaemia. Today Joe was in a stable condition after having a more comfortable night. According to his tour manager and friend Zeb White, doctors have increased the level of sedation Joe is under to stop him fighting to regain consciousness. They want him to preserve his strength to battle pneumonia. He said reports Joe was in a coma were not true. He wanted to reassure friends and fans that Joe is only unconscious because he has been heavily sedated. Mr White said today: "He rested better last night. He must get through this pneumonia. For the first time in 17 years he has no cancerous cells and we hope this is the last hurdle." However, he added family and friends knew Joe's condition could deteriorate. "It's peaks and troughs," he said. Meanwhile those who Joe has inspired and helped on the path to fame are holding him in their thoughts. Coronation Street star Debra Stephenson, 33, looked on Joe as a role model and followed in his footsteps by singing and doing impressions on the Hull club circuit, at the tender age of 13. "I've always had an affinity with Joe," she said. "Being a Hull girl, he was one of the people who gave me the inspiration to go into showbusiness in the first place. "I wish him well and will be thinking of him." Debra's on-screen husband, Bradley Walsh, 45, was given his first break by Joe, when employed as the Hessle Road singer's warm-up act in the 1980s. "Joe is one of the last geniuses of showbusiness," said Bradley, who plays Corrie's Danny Baldwin. "I am indebted to him. I shall be thinking of him and hoping he pulls through." Comic Johnnie Casson also owes Joe for his career. "Joe is the nicest human being I have ever met," said Johnnie. "About seven years ago, he got me a spot in his Blackpool show but the night before it opened I fell ill and needed a heart bypass. Joe kept that spot open for me all summer. "I was performing with him last summer and I could tell he was ill. But he just kept going because he knew people had taken a chance in putting on his show. "I also met a woman whose husband was in his ward before Christmas. She said Joe went round every cancer patient each day, giving them a pep talk. That's how he is." Johnnie added that Joe has never lost his stage presence, playing to 1,200 in Blackpool last summer after £70,000 of advance sales. The Aces singer Johnny Pat, 63, of east Hull, whose just been given the all-clear from cancer of the colon, remembers Joe's early days. He said: "Joe used to belong to Hull's Variety Artists Association in the late 1970s. But we thought he was so good, we held a dinner at the Lacano club, made Joe perform and invited top agent Don Jones. He signed him up and he was performing in the big Bournemouth Round House cabaret club the next day." j.boulton@hdmp.co.uk Links The Official Joe Longthorne site www.joelongthorne.com Joe Longthorne: Man in a Million www.joelongthorne.org.uk

TV STARS AND HOME-GROWN TALENT ARE ROOTING FOR JOE

Date : 28.07.05

Television stars and home-grown talent were today rooting for Joe Longthorne in his latest battle. Magician and Longthorne fan Paul Daniels was among the first to send his best wishes to the city-born star. Mr Daniels, who lives in Berkshire and has known Joe for decades, said: "I have a friend who is going through exactly the same sorrow and the same pain as Joe at the moment. "He astonishes me - Joe has never lost his sense of humour. I know Joe will be exactly the same." Mr Daniels' wife Debbie McGee said Joe was "a charmer". She said: "He is just a great guy and we hope he will be well again soon." Barry Chuckle, who won fame with his brother Paul as the Chuckle Brother, said: "I have watched Joe perform and met him many times. "This is a fickle business and many people are not genuine. "That is not the case with Joe - he is down to earth. "He is the first in the queue when it comes to charity events and he is a world-class performer." Comedian Jim Bowen said: "I want Joe to know I am thinking about him. The first thing I would say is Joe is a great man, despite being the best female impersonator I have ever seen. He is the consummate showman. "Joe came from nowhere. He did not get caught in the trappings of showbusiness like everyone else. "He did not need television to become famous he just need his fans - he did the impossible" Comedian Roy "Chubby" Brown said: "I'm sad to hear that Joe is poorly. Blackpool will be missing a wonderful talent this summer. "We're thinking of him and hope he gets well soon." One of the city's favourite performers, Mike Lodge, 59, said he had watched Joe grow from boyhood into a star "Joe is a truly great performer. When he broke on to the scene it was phenomenal. "He has something other people do not have. I saw him on television talking about his illness he has always born it with dignity he is so brave."