RIP Freddy Marks

[wispa lover]

Just to say that Freddy, one third of Rainbow's Rod, Jane and Freddy has died aged 71. He lost his five month long battle with cancer.

[ericthecavalier]

Very sad news - I loved Rod, Jane & Freddy in Rainbow - but I watched it more when it was Roger instead of Freddy

[George 1978]

Sad news on the passing of Freddy Marks - I wasn't sure whether it was Rod who was married to Jane rather than Freddy, but it is still sad nevertheless. One of those that makes you think "which one?"

I started the obituary thread on Geoffrey Hayes in 2018 and so I was considering starting a thread for Freddy as well, but when one thinks of Rainbow, R, J and F, they were more or less supporting acts on the show compared to the main cast of Geoffrey, Bungle, George and Zippy, and I suppose the fact that they had got their own series in the 1980s was a good thing as it allowed them to perform more of their songs, especially in the 12.10 pm slot in which Rainbow had surrendered to them on Tuesdays. It would have been interesting if R, J and F had appeared in the Rainbow shows that was going around the theatres in 1989-1990 (in which an 11 year old Yours Truly had opted out of Art and PE lessons in an afternoon's school to see them at the Nottingham Theatre Royal), and whether the show would have become a musical premise if they had - I don't think that they had appeared there as they weren't seen in the programme that I got. Apparently, they wrote hundreds of songs over the years.

Also, Freddy wasn't the original member of the group - I think that he joined in around 1980 when he replaced Roger Walker (who later appeared in Eldorado) and Walker replaced someone else originally. In the Thames Christmas tape version of Rainbow seen on Victor Lewis Smith's TV Offal pilot, Roger was seen and not Freddy who was yet to join the group.

[darren]

Was very sad when i heard about this r i p f m.
Another part of our childhood disappears thnx for the memories.

[beccabear67]

Well, I hope he gets to go to the place in the opening animation! I always liked the look of that myself.

[sarasmithamc]

Ohh really sad to hear this news.

[George 1978]

How many people used to confuse Freddy with Christopher Lillicrap? They did look quite similar.