Geoff Davies, a prominent figure in the Liverpool music scene during the 1970s and 80s, passed away at 80 years old. Davies was known for being an owner of Probe Records, a record shop and label, and also for his talents as a promoter. Together with his first wife, Annie, Davies opened Probe Records in 1971.
Probe Records, as cited by author Paul Du Noyer, became a hub of the local punk and post-punk scene from 1976 alongside the nearby club, Eric’s. Influential musicians such as Pete Burns and Paul Rutherford were among three Probe employees who went on to make names for themselves in the music scene.
Born in Liverpool, Davies was the son of a docker and seamstress. His mother introduced Davies to the arts, taking him to local cinemas regularly which developed his love for film and music. At 14 years old, Davies left Rathbone School to work various jobs for many years, including a tailor, jeweler, and carpet manufacturer. He left those jobs after saving enough money to begin traveling.
After making a name for himself through his travels, Davies returned to Liverpool where he opened Probe, which sold obscure and imported music, underground magazines, rock music, and classical music. The record shop became an instant hit, attracting the city’s hipper music lovers. It eventually moved to Button Street where, in addition to the record shop, Davies also started the Probe Plus record label.
Upon Davies’ divorce from Annie in 1986, they decided that Annie would become the sole owner of the record shop, while Davies kept the record label. Davies went on to marry his current wife in 1999 and continued to bring out and promote music that he loved from bands of all genres until his retirement in 2018. He is survived by his wife, sons, and grandchildren
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