A Guy Called Gerald honoured with blue plaque for ‘Voodoo Ray’, the UK’s “first acid house record”
A Guy Called Gerald has been honoured with a prestigious blue plaque recognising his role in creating the UK’s “first acid house record”, the 1988 classic ‘Voodoo Ray’.
It’s not yet known where the plaque will be placed, but the Manchester artist, real name Gerald Simpson, took to Instagram to acknowledge the honour, writing: “I would like to thank my ancestor and all who support my journey.”
First recorded at Simpson’s home, the track was later finished at Moonraker Studios in Manchester before being fully released and becoming a staple of the UK’s rave scene in the late ’80s and into the ’90s, particularly at legendary Manchester nightclub The Haçienda.
Despite the continued success of ‘Voodoo Ray’, Simpson has previously stated that he was never paid for the track by Rham Records, the label that originally released it. He later launched a crowdfunder to help him with a legal dispute related to the song’s royalties.
Listen to ‘Voodoo Ray’ below.
Other blue plaques related to rave culture in recent years have been issued to honour legendary hard house DJ Tony De Vit and the original acid house smiley design.
