24/08/2026
Peter Breakey
You could walk past the Adelphi on De Grey Street and, from the outside, see little more than an old terraced building.
But behind those walls, something extraordinary happened.
For more than four decades, one Hull man quietly helped shape British music. His name was Paul “Jacko” Jackson.
Paul died in 2026 aged 71, but his legacy stretches far beyond the tiny venue he devoted his life to.
Back in 1984, Paul took over the former working men's club and turned it into the Adelphi we know today.
He wasn't a major music industry businessman. He had spent 13 years working as a shipping clerk at Fenners.
He simply loved music.
And, perhaps more importantly, he believed in giving people a chance.
The Adelphi was small, rough around the edges and certainly wasn't glamorous. But Paul created something special there.
It became a place where unknown bands could walk through the doors, plug in their instruments and play in front of a real audience.
Then came the names.
Pulp. Radiohead. Oasis. The Stone Roses. Supergrass. The Housemartins. Green Day.
Just think about that.
Some of the biggest names in British and international music stood on a tiny stage in Hull before many people had ever heard of them.
And Paul was there.
He lived above the Adelphi and spent years behind the bar, often in jeans, a T-shirt and his familiar cap.
The venue had its problems. Money was tight, the building needed constant attention and there were times when its future looked uncertain.
But the people who loved the Adelphi wouldn't let it disappear.
Musicians helped.
Regulars helped.
The local community helped.
On one occasion, a supporter even climbed onto the roof to help patch a leak.
That tells you what the Adelphi meant to people.
It wasn't just a venue.
It was a community.
And Paul was at the centre of it.
He wasn't interested in fame or putting himself in the spotlight. He was interested in music and in giving musicians somewhere to play.
For thousands of people, the Adelphi became part of their lives.
For musicians, it became a place where they could take their first steps.
And for Hull, it became something much bigger than anyone could have imagined.
When Paul died at Dove House Hospice on 31 March 2026, people gathered at the Adelphi to remember him.
Perhaps there could have been no more fitting place.
Because Paul Jackson didn't simply run the Adelphi.
Paul Jackson was the Adelphi.
For more than 40 years, he helped give Hull a place where music could grow, where unknown bands could become something and where generations of people could make memories.
There are people who leave behind statues, buildings and plaques.
Paul left behind something far more powerful.
A legacy.
Thousands of musicians, fans and Hull people have a story connected to those walls.
And every time another band walks onto that tiny Adelphi stage, a little piece of Paul Jackson lives on.
So next time you walk past the Adelphi, remember what happened inside.
Because some of the biggest names in music history once stood on that stage.
And behind it all was a Hull bloke who simply believed in giving people a chance.
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