Ten years since 'Mr Manchester' Tony Wilson died

It's been ten years since Tony Wilson died Credit: ITV Granada

It was ten years ago today that Anthony H Wilson, the charismatic owner of Factory Records, Hacienda manager and Granada Reports journalist, died of a heart attack at the Christie Hospital in Manchester on Friday August 11 2007. He was 57.

Wilson, dubbed Mr Manchester for his pivotal role in the city's cultural emergence in the 1990s, died after a battle with kidney cancer.

A key figure in the Manchester music scene, Wilson was credited with launching the careers of Joy Division - which later became New Order following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis - and the Happy Mondays through his record label Factory Records.

He co-founded the iconic Hacienda nightclub and the Dry Bar in Manchester, which together formed a central part of the music and cultural heart of the city.

Shortly before his death, friends from the music industry clubbed together to help pay for his £3,500-a-month cancer treatment after the NHS refused to fund it.

  • Watch Granada Reports tonight when we'll be looking back on his legacy.