09 June 2025 •
Local rail operator Trenitalia c2c is proud to have honoured rock ‘n’ roll icon, Essex native and co-founder of the legendary band Dr. Feelgood, Wilko Johnson, with a specially commissioned train nameplate at a ceremony at Southend Central station today (Monday 9 June).
The nameplate, which can be seen on unit 357316, reads ‘Wilko Johnson 1947-2022 – He did it right,’ and plays tribute to the legendary Dr. Feelgood song ‘She Does it Right.’ It was unveiled by Wilko’s son Simon Johnson on platform 4 at Southend Central station. He said:
‘’It is very touching that c2c are honouring my father in this way. I am told this is a tribute usually only reserved for poets and royalty. As an aspiring poet, I know he would be well chuffed.”
The event was attended by a host of special guests including fellow Dr. Feelgood bandmate John B Sparks as well as Wilko’s brother Malcolm Wilkinson and many friends including Kursaal Flyers frontman, Will Birch and Blockheads bassist Norman Watt-Roy.
The event also featured a live musical performance both on the platform and on board the charter train from cast members of ‘Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll’. The critically acclaimed production is heading to London’s West End in July – written by Jonathan Maitland, who also attended the ceremony – celebrating Wilko’s life and music.
Performers Johnson Willis, John House and Georgina Field delivered a special rendition of R&B classic ‘Route 66’ – with lyrics adapted to celebrate Southend and the Essex coastline. The ‘Wilko Express’ – as the train has been affectionally named – departed Southend Central on its maiden voyage to London Fenchurch Street, calling at key ‘Wilko’ locations along the route including Westcliff, Benfleet and Barking.
c2c Managing Director, Rob Mullen, said:
“We are delighted to have been able to honour Wilko with the ‘Wilko Express,’ it was artists like him and his bandmates in Dr. Feelgood that had such an amazing impact on the punk scene in the 1970s that it inspired the likes of Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller to follow in his footsteps.
“Away from the fame, he was a dedicated member of our local community throughout his life and used our line often when travelling across Essex. He travelled the world yet always came home to Essex and c2c. We are proud to recognise his inimitable contribution to British music and our local communities by having his family and friends turn out to celebrate this honour.”
Jonathan Maitland added:
“Wilko was a hugely significant cultural figure, nationally and internationally, but he was above all a proud Essex man, so we are delighted that c2c has chosen to honour him in this way. I can’t think of anyone who’s had the honour of a train naming ceremony and then, three weeks later, been the subject of a West End play. But then Wilko was unique.”
Born in Canvey Island, Wilko Johnson was famed for his electrifying stage presence and unique guitar style. As one of the driving forces behind Dr. Feelgood, he helped shape the foundations of punk rock, earning praise from music legends including Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.
The tribute comes at a celebratory time for fans, with the stage play ‘Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll’ heading to London’s iconic West End, opening at the Leicester Square Theatre this July following sold-out performances in Hornchurch and Southwark. Meanwhile, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Feelgood’s landmark debut album ‘Down by the Jetty’- a record that continues to inspire generations of musicians.
Wilko’s legacy also features prominently in Scene by the Sea, an ongoing exhibition at Southend’s Beecroft Gallery exploring the area’s musical and cultural history.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
About c2c
- c2c is the award-winning train operator running services between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, serving 26 stations in East London and South Essex.
- Owned by Trenitalia, c2c is one of the UK’s most punctual and popular train operators and nearly 35.8 million journeys are made on its services every year.
- Italian-based Trenitalia is one of Europe’s leading rail operators and the passenger rail arm of FS Italiane Group.
- For more information email mediaenquiries@c2crail.net
- For full pay as you go with contactless terms and conditions, please go to nationalrail.co.uk/contactless
- Customers using pay as you go with contactless ticketing can view their journey and payment history at https://contactless.tfl.gov.uk/
Images
Featured Image: Jonathan Maitland, Johnson Willis, John House and Georgina Field play at Southend Central.
Second Image: c2c Managing Director Rob Mullen and Simon Johnson.
Third Image: L-R, John B Sparks, Mickey Fawcett, Norman Watt-Roy, Henry Grecourt, Simon Johnson and Malcolm Wilkinson.
Fourth Image: Malcolm Wilkinson with the plaque.
Fifth Image: Johnson Willis, John House and Georgina Field play on the ‘Wilko Express.’
About Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll
- The extraordinary story of Wilko Johnson: rock ‘n’ roll icon, founder of the legendary band Dr. Feelgood and Game of Thrones star.
- In 2012, Wilko was told he had inoperable cancer and a year to live. Refusing all treatment, he decided to spend his last months living meaningfully: seeing the people, places and things which meant most to him during his remarkable life. Suddenly, he was bigger than ever and headline news all over the world. He recorded a number one album with Roger Daltrey, embarked on a sold-out final farewell tour, and was described by a national newspaper as “Our Greatest Living Englishman.” And then, a miracle happened.
- A mixture of words, rock ‘n’ roll, and quotes from the man himself, Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll tells the amazing, uplifting true story of Wilko, the Canvey Island legend. A play with live music, transfers to Southwark Playhouse Borough following critical and audience acclaim in its initial run at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch in 2023.
- Book tickets here: Wilko: Love and Death and Rock ‘n’ Roll – Leicester Square Theatre
About The Scene by the Sea
- The Scene by the Sea is an exhibition that celebrates Southend’s rich and rebellious pop cultural heritage. Inspired by the fold-out map conceived by Will Birch, Kosmo Vinyl and Jules Balme. This map charts the clubs, record shops, fashion boutiques and music venues that made the town a creative epicentre by the estuary.
- The Thames Group artists respond with new work that is both playful and poignant, capturing the spirit of a scene that continues to echo along the seafront and through the generations.
- The Thames Group of Artists Present ‘The Scene by the Sea’