SOMERSET NEWS: The Wurzels pay tribute to Muhammed Ali

WEST country music legends The Wurzels have paid tribute to boxing great Muhammad Ali who died late on Friday (June 3, 2016) night at the age of 74.

Tributes have been pouring in from around the globe following the news of Muhammad Ali’s death – with The Wurzels possibly being among the more obscure of those wishing to pass on their condolences to the family of the man dubbed The Greatest.

The Wurzels – famous for songs like I Am a Cider Drinker and Combine Harvester – met Muhammad Ali during a charity testimonial fundraising event for Welsh former British heavyweight champion Joe Erskine back in the late 1970s in London.

The line-up of acts performing at the event included Lulu, Johnny Rotten and the West’s very own scrumpy and western band The Wurzels.

PHOTO – TOP: Muhammad Ali with Pete Budd, Tony Bayliss and Tommy Banner of The Wurzels in the late 1970s.

PHOTO – RIGHT: The Greatest – Muhammad Ali.

Tommy Banner later said the photo with Muhammad Ali was taken by their manager at the time, John Miles, and while The Wurzels posed for the photo the boxer got “distracted by a gorgeous female” and is seen looking to the side.

Today The Wurzels have been saddened like the rest of the world by news of Muhammad Ali’s death.

The wonderful photo of Muhammad Ali with The Wurzels has been posted on their Facebook page today along with the words: “Legend gets overused these days, but this man truly earned the title. RIP Muhammad Ali.”

Muhammad Ali was admitted to hospital on Thursday having suffered from a respiratory illness complicated by Parkinson’s disease which he had been battling for 30 years.

He was born Cassius Marcellus Clay and shot to fame when he won light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

He won three world titles and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.

He retired in 1981 having won 56 of his 61 fights.

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