{{Short description|English music journalist and film critic (1952–2011)}} {{EngvarB|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} '''Tom Hibbert''' (28 May 1952 – 28 August 2011)<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /> was an English music journalist and film critic. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was a regular writer for music magazines such as ''Smash Hits'', ''Q'' and ''Mojo'', and reviewed films for ''Empire'' magazine. He was known for his acerbic writing style and irreverent interviews. While at ''Q'', he created the monthly "Who the Hell …?" interview series.<ref name="Hibbert/RBP">{{cite web|first=|last=|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Writer/tom-hibbert|title=Articles, interviews and reviews from Tom Hibbert|publisher=Rock's Backpages|date=|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> In the mid 1990s, he wrote the "Pendennis" column for the ''Observer'' newspaper.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian">{{cite news|first=Mark|last=Ellen|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/sep/01/tom-hibbert-obituary|title=Tom Hibbert obituary|newspaper=The Guardian|date=3 September 2011|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
==Childhood and early years== Hibbert was the second of three children born to author and historian Christopher Hibbert and his wife Anne (née Piggford). With his siblings James and Kate, he grew up in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. He was the product of a happy home. According to ''The Guardian''{{'}}s obituary of his father, Christopher Hibbert delighted in "taking his children to appallingly unsuitable films" such as Carry On comedies.<ref name="Sheppard/Guardian">{{cite news|first=Francis|last=Sheppard|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/27/obituary-christopher-hibbert-historian|title=Obituary: Christopher Hibbert|newspaper=The Guardian|date=27 January 2009|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
He attended Leighton Park School, a Quaker establishment, in Reading, Berkshire, and a local grammar school. After spending a term at Leeds University, he gave up education and attempted to forge a career as a rock musician before turning to journalism.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" />
==Career== Hibbert first wrote for home improvement publications, in the late 1970s, and then for ''New Music News'', a short-lived magazine published by Felix Dennis.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /><ref name="CMU">{{cite web|author=CMU Editorial|url=http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/tom-hibbert-dies/|title=Tom Hibbert dies|publisher=Complete Music Update|date=2 September 2011|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> Between 1982 and 1984, he contributed to ''The History of Rock''.<ref>{{cite web|first=|last=|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Publication/history-of-rock%2c-the|title=History of Rock, The: Articles, interviews and reviews|publisher=Rock's Backpages|date=|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
In 1983, he joined the staff of ''Smash Hits''.<ref name="TimeOut/SmashHits">Time Out editors (9 October 2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20180423045534/https://www.timeout.com/london/books/smash-hits-the-greatest-hits-1 "Smash Hits: The greatest hits"]. ''Time Out''. Archived from [https://www.timeout.com/london/books/smash-hits-the-greatest-hits-1 the original] on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.</ref> In the description of his editor, Mark Ellen: "[Hibbert] helped invent a cartoon fantasy world in which everyone interviewed seemed to exhibit the same slapstick characteristics. All his subjects – Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Bucks Fizz, John Lydon – were delightfully over-exaggerated, as mischievous and eccentric as their interrogator."<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /> This lampooning included renaming well-known musicians based on their character traits, such as "Dame David" for Bowie, "Fab Macca Whacky Thumbs Aloft" for McCartney,<ref name="Petridis/10Mag" /> "Sir Clifford of Richard" for Cliff Richard, "Lord Frederick Lucan of Mercury" for Freddie Mercury,<ref>{{cite web|first=Bob|last=Stanley|url=https://www.caughtbytheriver.net/2011/09/caught-by-the-reaper-tom-hibbert/|title=Caught by the Reaper: Tom Hibbert|website=Caught by the River|date=2 September 2011|accessdate=23 April 2018}}</ref> and "Horrible Headband" for Mark Knopfler.<ref>{{cite book|first=Sylvia|last=Patterson|title=I'm Not with the Band: A Writer's Life Lost in Music|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d8EkCgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Fab+Macca+Wacky+Thumbs+Aloft%22&pg=PT28|publisher=Sphere|location=London|year=2016|isbn=978-0-7515-5869-2}}</ref> Hibbert later said: "It sounds like I'm blowing my own trumpet but yes, I did [invent ''Smash Hits'' lingo]. Before I got there in 1983 there was none of that."<ref name="TimeOut/SmashHits" /> He also contributed under the pseudonym "Black Type",<ref name="Woods/SabotageTimes" /> writing enigmatic replies on the magazine's letters page.<ref>{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Snapes|url=https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1196-sylvia-patterson-wrote-one-of-2016s-best-rock-memoirs-but-shes-definitely-not-with-the-band/|title=Sylvia Patterson Wrote One of 2016's Best Rock Memoirs, But She's Definitely 'Not with the band'|website=Pitchfork|date=20 June 2016|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Carrie|last=Marshall|url=http://metro.co.uk/2016/08/17/12-reasons-smash-hits-was-the-best-music-magazine-ever-6057584/|title=12 reasons Smash Hits was the best music magazine ever|publisher=metro.co.uk|date=17 August 2016|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
The success of ''Smash Hits'' encouraged the British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, to sit for an interview with Hibbert in the lead-up to the 1987 general election.<ref name="CMU" /> The interview gained considerable press coverage.<ref name="Woods/SabotageTimes" /> Hoping to win favour among the nation's young voters, Thatcher was instead ridiculed in print for her music tastes, which included Cliff Richard and, as her favourite song, the 1953 hit "(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?"<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /><ref name="Petridis/10Mag">{{cite web|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|url=http://www.10magazine.com/news/smash-hits-music-press-goes-pop/|title=Smash Hits: Music Press Goes Pop|work=10 Magazine|date=26 December 2015|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref>
In the late 1980s, Hibbert followed Ellen to ''Q''. Although the magazine was aimed at an older age group and more respectful to established rock stars, Hibbert's contributions retained an element of irreverence.<ref name="Connolly/IrishTimes">{{cite news|first=John|last=Connolly|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/the-man-who-sold-the-word-1.1789670|title=The man who sold the Word|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=10 May 2014|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> His interviews in the "Who the Hell …?" series led to him travelling around the world.<ref name="CMU" /> Among his subjects were Jeremy Clarkson, Tom Jones, Jimmy Savile,<ref name="Woods/SabotageTimes">{{cite web|first=Andrew|last=Woods|url=https://sabotagetimes.com/music/farewell-tom-hibbert-and-smash-hits-i-miss-you-so|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028214431/http://www.sabotagetimes.com/music/farewell-tom-hibbert-and-smash-hits-i-miss-you-so/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=28 October 2012|title=Farewell Tom Hibbert, And Smash Hits I Miss You So …|work=Sabotage Times|date=3 September 2011|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> Jeremy Beadle, Jeffrey Archer, Robert Maxwell, Samantha Fox, Keith Floyd, Bernard Manning and David Mellor.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /> Affronted by Manning's racist remarks, Hibbert replied: "Ha ha ha, you fat bastard."<ref name="Connolly/IrishTimes" /> Some stars were similarly offended by Hibbert, who later cited Ringo Starr, Kate Bush and Boy George as disgruntled interviewees.<ref name="TimeOut/SmashHits" />
He began working for ''Q''{{'}}s sister title ''Empire'' in 1989. Its launch editor, Barry McIlheney, fearing that the magazine would be unlikely to gain access to any top film stars, says he thought: "Well, I'm going to have to get Tom Hibbert to write 20 Things About Jack Nicholson, because we're never going to get to interview [Nicholson]."<ref>{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Dinning|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/rise-empire-movie-mag-celebrates-25-years/1287407|title=Rise of an Empire: Movie mag celebrates 25 years|publisher=campaignlive.co.uk|date=26 March 2014|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> In the early 1990s, Hibbert's interviews also appeared in the American magazine ''Details''.<ref>{{cite web|first=|last=|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Publication/details|title=Details: Articles, interviews and reviews|publisher=Rock's Backpages|date=|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> He subsequently contributed to ''Mojo'', another Emap title edited by Ellen, from 1993 onwards.<ref name="Connolly/IrishTimes" />
==Illness and death== In 1997, Hibbert was hospitalised in Hammersmith, where he was found to be suffering from pneumonia and acute pancreatitis.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" /> Following a three-month stay in intensive care, he was unable to return to work.<ref name="CMU" />
He died in August 2011 at the age of 59 from complications related to his diabetes condition. He was survived by his wife, Allyce.<ref name="Ellen/Guardian" />
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/apr/09/margaret-thatcher-smash-hits-interview "Margaret Thatcher v Smash Hits – a classic interview from the vaults", at the guardian.com]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hibbert, Tom}} Category:1952 births Category:2011 deaths Category:English music critics Category:English music journalists Category:English film critics Category:People educated at Leighton Park School Category:Deaths from pneumonia in England Category:Deaths from pancreatitis