In pictures: Peter Stringfellow 'King of Clubs'
- Published
Businessman and nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow has died from cancer, aged 77.
Born in Sheffield in 1940, Stringfellow began running clubs in the 1960s before opening the first Stringfellows in Covent Garden, London in 1980.
He described his Covent Garden venue as the world's premier gentleman's club. It was an immediate success and was regularly frequented by international film and music stars.
Beyond the West End, Stringfellow opened venues in Paris, Miami, Beverly Hills and New York, where he is pictured here in 1987.
His New York nightclub attracted the city's most glamorous personalities, including Dianne Brill, crowned "Queen of the Night" by Andy Warhol.
His work meant he counted many celebrities among his acquaintances, from showbiz royalty to actual royalty.
The Stringfellow brand became known for its topless girls in the 1990s. He defended it, saying: "It's been a positive force in terms of our sexual attitudes. These clubs broke down the fear a lot of people have about sex."
Stringfellow's autobiography, King of Clubs, was published in 1996 with anecdotes of bankruptcy, the New York mafia and "how a steelworker's son ended up with his name in lights".
Stringfellow's wardrobe choices often reflected his outgoing and flamboyant personality.
In 2006, Stringfellow opened a lap dancing club in Dublin, but it closed just five months later amid pressure from local residents.
His clubs had many famous visitors, including Prof Stephen Hawking, who was the nightclub owner's favourite guest. Stringfellow said: "I was so excited when he came in and I wanted to talk to him about the universe. But when I asked him what he wanted he just said, 'Girls'."
Stringfellow, pictured here with David Cameron at the Conservative Party ball, was a long time Conservative supporter until recently, when he sought to fight against Brexit.
The strip club pioneer opened an adult entertainment club - Angels - in Soho, London in 2006.
He celebrated his 65th birthday with a party at his West End club, attended, among others, by TV personality Piers Morgan.
Married three times, and a grandfather to four, he is survived by his wife Bella and four children. He married the former Royal Ballet dancer, 41 years his junior, in 2009.
- Published7 June 2018
