Musical heritage ‘should be part of Birmingham’s tourism’

UB40’s Robin Campbell told BBC Radio WM that he felt Birmingham had not got the recognition it deserved for the music it has produced over the years.

He said: “It’s been an absolute hub of music, of all types, of all genres – from heavy metal and rock and reggae, but also pop groups – so much music has come out of Birmingham.”

Black Sabbath’s connection to Birmingham has been compared to Liverpool’s with The Beatles.

Chris Cannon, who runs guided tours in Liverpool, said the city’s musical heritage supported more than 2,300 jobs.

Referencing research by the University of Liverpool in 2016, he said The Beatles’ legacy was worth £82m to the city each year.

“We have got quite a large musical heritage, the same as Birmingham,” he said.

Asked if Birmingham could support a similar music heritage economy, he said that Liverpool had largely achieved it without council backing and that most of the city’s Beatles tourism was privately owned.

He added: “It’s taken nearly 30, 40 years for Beatles tourism to take off. But when it first opened nobody was interested in visiting it, but it’s really taken off.”