New Billy Fury mural painted over AGAIN just days after unveiling – and council say it wasn’t them
Lisa Voice with Billy Fury's mural in West Hampstead. Picture: Dominic Nicholls / Decca Records - Credit: Archant
It was like he’d never been gone. But just days after a restored mural portraying music legend Billy Fury was unveiled in West Hampstead, the artwork was found covered up by black paint – again.
The mural had stood in Billy Fury Way in West Hampstead and, earlier this week – 60 years since he was first discovered – it was finally repainted.
The mural has been defaced by graffiti several times over the last decade. Its fans were left particularly furious in April when, instead of being restored, the damaged mural was simply painted over altogether by council workers.
Camden, though, insists this time that its hands are clean.
A spokesperson said: “We were pleased to see that the final product was in keeping with the original and that it wasn’t an advert.
“We are, however, saddened that the mural has been painted over and can confirm that this was not done by the council.”
The town hall added it would be working with its CCTV team in hope of identifying who painted over the mural.
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Billy Fury, who was one of the biggest stars of the 1960s, recorded many of his most famous songs at the old Decca Studios building in Broadhurst Gardens nearby.
He died in prematurely in 1983 aged 42. He had suffered a heart attack, thought to be related to the rheumatic fever he contracted as a child.
When unveiling the now-defaced mural, Lisa Voice, Billy’s partner and head of his estate, said: “The first mural was amazing and I was disgusted when it got vandalised. Now the graffiti artists have come back for a second time to redo it and it’s absolutely stunning – it is so Billy!”
