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Peter Stringfellow dies aged 77: 'King of Clubs' loses cancer battle
Peter Stringfellow, the flamboyant nightclub owner who was a magnet for celebrities, has died at the age of 77 from cancer.
The businessman, who had wanted to keep his illness private, died early on Thursday after spending time in hospital.
His publicist, Matt Glass, said: "It's very sad news. He passed away in the early hours of this morning.
"It was kept very private, he didn't want to tell. He wanted to keep it a secret."
Stringfellow - known as the King of Clubs - started in the nighttime trade in the early 1960s and recalled booking acts including The Beatles, The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix to play at his clubs.
In 1980, he opened Stringfellows in Covent Garden in London's West End and went on to create venues in Paris, New York, Miami, and Beverly Hills.
With its topless girls and exuberant after-hours entertainment, the Stringfellow brand became a byword for debauchery and sexual kicks that had echoes of the empire created by late Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner.
The mogul said his clubs had hosted A-listers including Prince, Marvin Gaye, Rod Stewart and Tom Jones.
And it was not just celebrities who experienced Stringfellow's hospitality - Professor Stephen Hawking once joined him for dinner at one of the venues.
One of Stringfellow's four children, Karen, said she is "heartbroken and devastated" at her father's death, as she posted a picture on Facebook of them together.
Mr Glass said in a statement: "Known as the King of Clubs, Peter will be remembered for his flamboyant style, charismatic personality and for being a magnet for celebrities across the planet, with A-list stars across six decades flocking to perform and party at his various clubs around the world."
Treatment for lung cancer after diagnosis in 2008
Stringfellow underwent treatment for lung cancer after being diagnosed in 2008.
However he kept the diagnosis a secret for nearly six years, telling only family and close friends, until it was leaked in 2015.
'A terrific guy who lived life to the full': Tributes to Peter Stringfellow
Comedy actress Su Pollard, who knew Stringfellow and had worked with him, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "He was a fantastic role model for other entrepreneurs.
"When he was in the room - for a start, I used to think he was so handsome, I love men with long hair - he was lovely.
"I liked him because he was always warm, he could have probably been in showbiz in another area, but he chose to be an entrepreneur."
Pollard added: "You miss people that are large, and are givers. He gave of himself such a lot. He was a great person to be around, I feel for his family."
BBC Radio presenter Tony Blackburn tweeted a tribute to Stringfellow, describing him as a "terrific guy who lived life to the full".
Boy George described him as "one of Sheffield's finest", adding: "What a character".
Former boxing champion Frank Bruno was among those to pay tribute to Stringfellow on Twiter:
Comic Rufus Hound wrote: "RIP Peter Stringfellow. You're with the angels now. So no change there."
Novelist and journalist Tony Parsons shared a picture of Stringfellow with musicians Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye on Twitter, and tweeted that they are "three legends".
Sheila Ferguson, the singer, paid tribute to Stringfellow, her "dear friend".
The Three Degrees star tweeted a picture of herself meeting Diana, Princess of Wales, alongside the nightclub owne:
Former rugby player Brian Moore said that Stringfellow was "very good company" after having spoken with him at a Cambridge Union debate some time ago.
Boy from Sheffield brought up by his 'feisty' mother
Born in Sheffield in 1940, Stringfellow was the eldest of four boys who were brought up by the women in his family after the men went to war.
He served a brief prison sentence in 1962 for selling stolen carpets, a sharp lesson which he said put him on the straight and narrow.
In a 2012 article, he attributed his entrepreneurial spirit to his "feisty" mother.
He said sex was never a topic of conversation in the house, while his father declined an invitation to visit one of his establishments in his later years.
Stringfellow: 'Lap dancing club' is 'derogatory term'
In 2008, Stringfellow told MPs that he objected to the phrase "lap dancing club", which he described as a "derogatory term", adding: "My term is adult entertainment, or in my case, gentleman's club."
The entrepreneur was giving evidence to the Commons' Culture Committee, which was examining whether to impose stricter rules on lap dancing establishments, where women strip for men and dance for them.
Rejecting proposals to classify lap dancing clubs as "sex encounter establishments", he said: "Of course, it is sexually stimulating but so is a disco. So is picture of David Beckham lying there in his Calvin Kleins."
Stringfellow leaves wife, four children and four grandchildren
Married three times and a grandfather four times over, Stringfellow is survived by his wife, Bella and four children, Karen, Scott, Rosabella and Angelo.
Stringfellow married Bella, a former Royal Ballet dancer, in 2009 and embraced fatherhood in recent years. Rosabella was born in 2013 and Angelo was born two years later.
“When you get married to a young woman, you can’t say no to children," he said in 2012.
“I am fortunate in that I am fit and I have some money and therefore I will be able to get whatever help I need," he said. insisting he was going to live “to at least 150”.