'The Modfather is my little toad of a brother'

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a day ago

Behind the success of celebrities, there often lies a fascinating story about their journey to fame.
Nicky Weller, the sister of Paul Weller - who founded two of Britain's most successful bands, The Jam and The Style Council - has spoken to Secret Surrey about some of her fondest memories of her brother during their formative years in Woking.
She described her brother as an "amazing person" because he "truly embraced the Mod attitude of always looked forward and never looking back".
"On one hand he is my brother but on the other hand, you say 'oh there's that miserable little toad on stage!'" she joked.
Not only does Ms Weller have two garages and a spare room full of her brother's pop memorabilia, but she said she came up with the name of The Jam.
The band was formed in 1972 and was inspired by the Mod music movement.
Due to this, Paul is known as the "Modfather" as he was instrumental in the Mod revival movement in the '70s and '80s.
Ms Weller said her brother had shown a keen interest in music from an early age.
"We lived in a council house in Stanley Road, Woking, and we had a happy childhood," she told Radio Surrey.
"My mum was always singing around the house to the latest songs and I think that's where it all stemmed from.
"He was fanatical about the Beatles. He kept all his albums in his drawers rather than his clothes!"
Ms Weller, who managed the fan clubs of The Jam and The Style Council, said there were signs which foretold her brother's future success.
She said Paul enjoyed shopping at Petticoat Lane to get the "particular clothes he wanted".
"He was a sharp dresser. He had an attitude and a look about him," Ms Weller said.
"His friends in Woking said the same thing and they latched onto him."
Ms Weller has curated major exhibitions which focused on The Jam and The Style Council, including "About the Young Idea" at Somerset House and "This Is The Modern World" in Brighton, which reflected on his success.
She and her parents have kept old photos and items which belonged to Paul during his school years.
Ms Weller said Paul already had visions of what his band would look like while he was at school.
"He was a good cartoonist. He drew a picture of his band and the band members were coloured with matching suits like The Beatles."
Ms Weller said one of her favourite items of memorabilia was a five-page cartoon he drew called Paul The Mod.
"It's about him going out on his scooter to meet his friends. They went to Brighton and had fights and the police arrested them," she said.
"In every page of his book there's a practice signature, it was like he knew he was going to be famous."
The Jam eventually split in the early '80s at the height of their popularity.
Paul formed The Style Council, which was more laid back and soulful, but the band broke up in 1989.
He then enjoyed a successful solo career, with hits such as Sunflower and Wild Wood.
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