"Trevor 'Prellie' Townsend, a well known and much loved musician, tragically, and completely unexpectedly, died of a heart attack on October 1st this year. At the time of his death, Trev had been hard at work, arranging a charity fundraising concert in Liverpool, set for 8th December, 'Beatles4Food', to raise money for the Trussell Trust food bank charity. Since his untimely death the Justgiving Page he set up to accompany the concert has raised close to £2000.The Liverpool Echo recently ran a piece on Trev's story and since then the concert on the 8th has completely sold out.Trevor was band leader of The Prellies, a 'sort of' Beatles tribute group playing the music the pre-fame Beatles played in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg, particularly focusing on the Star Club tapes.
The band played in Liverpool many times and Bill Heckle of Cavern City Tours wrote a very lovely tribute for CCT's social media platforms.
The group even made the pages of the Liverpool Echo a couple of times, once way back in 2003 when 80's pop star Tiffany attended a concert in the Cavern and then in 2010 when The Prellies received a brick in the Cavern wall.
They toured the world, playing Beatles festivals in France, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, and even Belarus.
In recent years, Trev had been writing and recording music with a new band, CouncilPop. Last Christmas the group recorded a glamtastic single about the simple joys of celebrating Christmas on a tight budget in times of austerity. Inspired by The Kinks, The Beatles (obviously!), Slade, Wizzard, the Beach Boys and John Shuttleworth, it will raise a smile in these anxiety provoking days we live in! And hopefully it will remind people of Trev, and what a beautiful force of nature he was.Members of the Prellies and CouncilPop will be appearing at the Beatles4Food concert and as well as Beatles related material, will be playing Chris McCree by the Christmas Tree and celebrating Trev's extraordinary life"
