Ah, the rock ’n’ roll life: hard drinking, loose living and continual adulation.
But, says Shaun Fenton, it is nothing compared with being a headteacher.
Mr Fenton is head of Reigate Grammar School, a £5,530-a-term school in Surrey. He is also the son of Alvin Stardust, 1970s glam-rock star, and the man once described by Rolling Stone Keith Richard as “the godfather of British rock ’n’ roll”.
“I loved his brooding stage persona,” Mr Fenton said of his loose-hipped, big-quiffed father. “I think he’s a brilliantly creative part of our musical past.
“He was also just my dad. While I grew up sharing him with fans and others, I have many fabulous memories of growing up… I treasure the times when he was on the touchline, cheering me on, while I was playing for my school rugby team.”
Mr Fenton was being interviewed as part of a film about the children of famous parents, to be aired on the BBC1 magazine programme The One Show next week. The film includes a performance of the Alvin Stardust hit song My Coo Ca Choo, by one of the Reigate School music groups.
While Mr Fenton said that he was proud of his students, he added that he was grateful that none of them wore black leather or quiffed hair: “That might have been just too much.”
He pointed out that, behind his father’s glam-rock persona was a former independent-school chorister. “This upbringing gave him very traditional values,” he said. “We would often talk about the importance of good manners, of sport, and of the difference that a great school can make.”
Mr Fenton’s father, who died in 2014, began his career in the 1960s, performing as Shane Fenton. But he became better known for singles released in the 1970s and 1980s, including the chart-topping Jealous Mind.
The younger Mr Fenton, however, insists that his own mind is entirely free of paternal jealousy. “Being a star must be a huge thrill,” he said. “But being a headteacher allows me to delight in the success and talent of our young people. It is a privilege.”
The One Show featuring Shaun Fenton and the Reigate musicians will be screened on 16 February at 7pm.
