Tribute paid to Northampton musician by brother, who says things will never be the same without their trio

A tribute has been paid to a well-known Northampton musician by his younger brother, who says things will never be the same without their trio.

Philip Pugh, better known as Phil, was the lead of the Ray Philip’s Band, alongside his two younger brothers and co-founder.

The band, formed in 1965, thrived from the sixties to the nineties, not only locally in Northampton but when they bought a van and travelled around the UK performing and supporting other artists.

Philip passed away on December 14, 2022, 10 days before his 79th birthday. He lived with prostate cancer for the last 15 years, which spread to his spinal cord.

His youngest brother Ted Pugh wanted to pay tribute to Phil and said: “He wasn’t just my brother, but my mate and the person I have known the longest. There were always three of us – me, Phil and Richard.

“He was a pain in the butt, but he was our pain in the butt.”

Phil’s funeral is being held next Monday (January 9) and he will be laid at rest at Kingsthorpe Cemetery, which Ted says is where he and Richard will join him one day and the trio will be back together – as they always were.

“He was an organised hoarder,” said Ted. “He couldn’t throw things away and we would always wonder why he kept them. You don’t want to part with things as you grow older.

“He was such a character.”

Phil had one daughter and one grandchild, and was a keen piano player throughout his entire life – starting aged nine when he was taught, as his father was also a musician.

Music was always Phil’s biggest passion, from being in the band to when he was in a duo with a former partner until between 10 and 15 years ago, but the music took a back seat when he started his own transport business.

Ted says Phil will be dearly missed and he was all him and Richard ever knew. Looking back on photos now, they are all of the three of them.