The singer and impressionist is one of five Great Hullensians vying for your votes to be named the city's best
Presenting your very own primetime ITV show to an audience of 15 million adoring fans - not many people from Hull, or anywhere for that matter, have managed that.
But that was Joe Longthorne - a man who "typified everything that is great about our city".
Known to all he came into contact with as simply "Our Joe", the singer and impressionist was regarded by many as a national treasure for a career that not only saw fame on stage and screen but even included three platinum-selling albums.
He appeared on the Royal Variety Performance and listed sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago and Sydney Opera House among a host of huge achievements on his résumé.
A young Bradley Walsh even toured as Joe's support act during his early career before going on to find his own fame.

In 2012, Longthorne was an awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to charity.
Sadly, Joe passed away on August 3 2019 aged just 64.
However, despite his star shining so bright, he never lost site of the Hessle Roader in him, according to his biographer, Chris Berry.
A young Bradley Walsh even toured as Joe's support act during his early career before going on to find his own fame.
In 2012, Longhtorne was an awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to charity.

"Joe Longthorne is probably the greatest entertainer our city has ever produced," Chris said.

"His singing voice soared, his impressions were internationally-renowned and his humour had audiences roaring. I first met Joe when writing about his 40 years in showbiz and I went on to write his autobiography, two further updates and toured with him as his support act all around the UK for several years.

"Known as ‘Our Joe’ by everyone who came into contact with him, Joe radiated warmth wherever he went and had that special Hull quality, always able to talk with anyone.

"He never had any airs and graces and had that uncanny ability to be able to see into someone’s eyes and understand them.

"The Joe Longthorne Show ran for four years on ITV attracting 15 million viewers every week from 1988-1991. He appeared on the Royal Variety Performance, at the London Palladium many times and had sell-out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, Drury Lane Theatre in Chicago and Sydney Opera House. He had three platinum-selling albums.

"Bradley Walsh recently said, when asked who was the best all-round entertainer it had to be Joe Longthorne. Brad had been Joe’s support act in the early part of his career.
Joe battled back many times through leukaemia, cancer, a bone marrow transplant that nearly saw him at death’s door, near bankruptcy and a nervous breakdown to continually tour and entertain his army of followers. In my view he deserved even greater recognition.
When he passed away, sadly taken by cancer in August 2019 and still playing sell-out shows up until two weeks before, his passing meant as much to me as that of John Lennon.

"I’m a Hull lad born and bred, and a Hull KR man too, as well as Hull City. Clive Sullivan is a fantastic man for Greatest Hullensian of All time; William Wilberforce has to be there for his historic achievements too; but Joe, for me, really typified everything that is great about our city – he was warm, friendly, never lost his love of where he came from and truly had a fantastic talent. I lost a friend and a man I loved when he departed, a man who is as deserving of a ‘Joe Longthorne Lane or Way’ as much as Clive and William
(Hull Daily Mail 30 Jan 2021)

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J