00:00In the 1980s, Britain was changing. Social and political unrest led the way for a cultural
00:05revolution set against a backdrop of synth, pop music and experimental sounds. The 80s was a time
00:12of innovation and rebellion, punks and new wave bands and at the forefront stood Holly Johnson.
00:17The legacy is massive just for one individual from the city and it means so much to lots of
00:23different types of people for very different reasons. The Holly Johnson story charts Holly's
00:28early personal life and career from a young musician to an internationally renowned pop
00:33star living in the public eye. And music's so powerful for so many people in lots of
00:39different ways. We've got a response area in the exhibition and just how kind of certain songs
00:44take people back to certain events in their lives and how it connects to them personally.
00:50Celebrating Holly's creative genius and marking the 40th anniversary release of
00:56Frankie Goes to Hollywood album Welcome to the Pleasure Dome featuring songs Relax,
01:00Two Tribes and The Power of Love. I think we really went big and bold for the exhibition.
01:05It's so much fun and obviously we think about really important issues too so it's a really
01:10nice strong mix but I think for the music for a lot of people will take them back to their
01:16youths growing up. A particular highlight for me is the costume in the exhibition. Costumes really
01:22make you think about the evolution of not just Holly's career but also the evolution of the
01:27music as well at the time. The exhibition charts Holly's early personal life and career from a
01:32young musician to an internationally renowned openly gay star living in the public eye.
01:37Dealing with the price of fame, coping with an HIV diagnosis and unwanted negative press.
01:43He was diagnosed as HIV positive in 1991.
01:47He's an incredible patron for Sahiya, a local charity here in the city.
01:53The exhibition runs at the Museum of Liverpool until the 27th of July 2025.
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