THE stars turned out in force to pay tribute to the late Bolton poet and comedian Hovis Presley on Monday night.

Johnny Vegas rounded off a suitably bizarre night of entertainment that included the first ever hometown gig from Badly Drawn Boy, an off-beat singalong with John Shuttleworth and appearances from Phoenix Nights stars Justin Moorhouse and Archie Kelly.

Local performance poets Thick Richard, rubber-faced Chorley comic Phil Cool, Radio 2 DJ Mark Radcliffe, the "Bolton Bullfrog" Bernard Wrigley and comedian Susan Vale also attended.

They all turned up at the Albert Halls in honour of comedian and poet Hovis, who died in June at the Royal Bolton Hospital, aged 44.

Hovis, whose real name was Richard McFarlane, was admired as a brilliant wordsmith by many of his more famous contemporaries. The poet - who often performed in his home town - always shunned fame and fortune, but loved to entertain.

His death shocked many in the entertainment world, and prompted singer and comedian Bob Williamson to organise the event.

Bob, who compered the show, said: "John Cooper Clarke rightly said in The Times that Hovis was the best poet of the 20th century.

"Everybody he liked is here tonight and everybody he liked is on the bill and is performing here for nothing."

Mark Radcliffe, who invited Hovis on to his radio shows on several occasions, said: "I was really absolutely shattered by the news of his passing and that is something that we all feel really deeply.

"He was very unassuming and self-deprecating with shafts of absolute genius."

Bolton's Damon Gough - Badly Drawn Boy - played several songs old and new, including Hovis's favourite Magic in the Air, and said: "This is the first properly announced Badly Drawn Boy gig in Bolton and I am very proud that it is for Richard, but it also makes me very sad that he is not here.

"This is one of the best nights I have been to and he should have been here. Let us believe that he is in some way or another."

St Helens comedian and actor Johnny Vegas rounded off the night with a typically deranged set of almost tragic comedy, finishing with a singalong of New York, New York, and said: "He would have cared about the gig and the people at the gig, but not himself. That was Hovis Presley."

Funds raised from the event will go towards The Hovis Presley Memorial Fund, which will donate money to charities such as Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Mind and Cancer Research.

l A second tribute event will be held at the Comedy Store in Manchester next Monday.

This event will star Bolton comedian Dave Spikey alongside Craig Campbell, Lucy Porter, Simon Munnery, Peter Slater, Stan Vernon, Susan Vale, Marvin Cheeseman, Thick Richard, Max Seymour and a special mystery guest. For tickets, priced at £5, call 0161 839 9595.