On Saturday 23 September we had the pleasure of welcoming Hackney’s Queen of the Blues, Honey B Mama and her band. We were treated to a great rocking set of blues from Honey and her crack musicians. As it is black history month we thought we’d tell you a bit more about what a pioneering performer Honey is.

Honey’s alter ego is Cleo Sylvestre MBE. Cleo is unique as being one of the first black British born stage performers in the 1960s. Brought up in the Euston area, she was once Mick Jagger’s girlfriend when the Rolling Stones were establishing themselves in the early 1960s, and was good friends with the late Brian Jones. In the early sixties the Stones backed her on a version of To Know Him is To Love Him.

Cleo Sylvestre with Brian Jones.

As an actress, Cleo was the first black actress to be given a leading role at the National Theatre in Peter Nicholl’s satire The National Health in 1967. She recalls Laurence Olivier knocking on her dressing room door and complimenting her on her performance. Ken Loach cast her regularly in his films like Poor Cow, Cathy Come Home and Up the Junction.

Later on Cleo had parts in series like Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Z Cars and Til Death Us Do Part and most notably Crossroads. For her services to entertainment she was awarded an MBE.

At her Antwerp performance Cleo told us she had recently recovered from a stroke and thanked the NHS for their work in getting her fit enough to resume her singing career.

Honey B Mama at the Antwerp Arms with part of Caroline Rault’s lovely art exhibition behind her.