Family's tribute at service for Harrogate musician Barrie Corbett who played with Beatles but always put family first

So large was the turnout at Stonefall Crematorium in Harrogate on Friday, lengthy queues of mourners formed outside to pay their respects to man who was as popular as he was talented.

Barely out of his teens, Barrie found himself and his band the Mustangs, which also featured John Whiteley, John Bolton and Johnny Lockhead, as lead support band on Friday, March 8, 1963 when The Beatles came to Harrogate to play the Royal Hall.

Harrogate-born Barrie – known as Barry as a musician – later went on to have chart success in Europe in the 1970s as a duo with his wife Eileen, before quietly writing songs for The Smurfs which sold in their millions in the 1980s.

As well as family and friends, attendees included many members of Harrogate’s music scene, some of whom has worked with Barrie over the years.

Among them were Bob Mason, a member of Ricky Fenton and the Apaches who were also on the bill with the Fab Four that memorable night, and Chris Simpson, founder of million selling Magna Carta.

In a moving eulogy written by his family, the Rev Jim Grebby said “he was a very gifted man with many talents but, above all things, he was a family man.”

From his early days in a teenage dance band he formed while at Harrogate Grammar School in the 1950s, where he went after Pannal Grange Primary School, the well-liked and down to earth Barrie was never dazzled by the bright lights.

For many years he carried on working as a civil servant with postings abroad.

As the Rev Grebby said, Barrie’s “feet were firmly on the ground”.

Barrie never gave up on music – he “could play anything asked of him” – and even brought back his original band as the 65 Mustangs, who were very popular on the local music scene.

But, despite his significant successes, which made Barrie one of Harrogate’s all-time musical greats, his good nature was even bigger than his wide range of musical skills.

Music was his great love but it wasn’t his only or greatest love.

Barrie married the love of his life Eileen in 1964, describing her as his “life-long soul mate”, and was a loving father to Kevin and Simon, and grandfather or “Baba” to Maia and Dan.

His grandchildren said he was a “truly great grandpa”.

The service was full of musical touches – Dancing In The Sky by Liv Harland played provided the soundtrack to a family photo film on a giant screen.

Appropriately, In My Life by The Beatles was featured in the ceremony, too, nearly 60 years after Barrie played with the world’s greatest band that incredible night in Harrogate.

As mourners filed out slowly at the conclusion of the service, the song End of the Line by the Traveling Wilburys played on the PA in Stonefall Crematorium.

Not only the melodies hung in the air, so did the family’s words from the eulogy.

"Barrie was a loving person who always helped people in need.

"This is a sad day but we have come to say “thank you” to him.

"He is going to be incredibly missed.”