Sir Peter Blake has updated his iconic Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, to create a contemporary collage to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Peter Blake selected icons who have inspired his long and illustrious career. Amy Winehouse, JK Rowling, Richard Curtis, Noel Gallagher, Elton John, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Elvis Costello, Helen Mirren, John Peel, Mick Jagger, Vivienne Westwood and David Attenborough all feature in the new collage. Paul McCartney is the only Beatle to feature on this occasion, supported by his daughters Stella and Mary.

Peter Blake remarked: “I’ve chosen people I admire, great people and some who are dear friends. I had a very long list of people who I wanted to go in but couldn’t fit everyone in – I think that shows how strong British culture and its legacy of the last six decades is”.

This set me pondering, which icons I would choose if I were to produce a collage of those who inspire and I admire. Here’s a sample – Richard Branson, Paul Gascoine, Lionel Messi, Brian Clough, Alex Ferguson, Roger Federer, John McEnroe, Johnny Wilkinson, Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Monet, John Peel, Oscar Wilde, David Bowie, Elton John, Noel Gallagher, John Lennon, Jack Dee, Groucho Marx, Russell Brand, Les Dawson, David Attenborough, Professor Brian Cox, Sean Connery, Julie Christie, Colin Firth, Billy Wilder, John F Kennedy, Dave Gilmour, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and George Martin……..Inevitably there is a predominance of sportspeople and muicians!! Who are the icons who have inspired you? Let us know in the Reply Box below.

Peter Blake’s original Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover is one of the most iconic pieces of pop art, up there with the work of Andy Warhol. It certainly makes my Top 5 Greatest Album Covers of All Time……..

1) Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

2) Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

3) Nirvana – Nevermind

4) David Bowie – The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust

5) Meatloaf – Bat out of Hell

Which are your favourite album covers? Let us know in the Reply Box below.

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