Tony de Vit: Plaque unveiled for 'godfather of hard house'

A blue plaque has been unveiled to honour DJ Tony de Vit who became known as the "godfather of hard house".

Born in Kidderminster, De Vit made his name at Birmingham's Nightingale Club in the 1980s, going on to DJ at iconic nightclubs like London's Heaven.

He died in 1998, aged 40, after contracting HIV, and the Birmingham Civic Society chose the city's Pride weekend to honour his life.

His family, friends and fans attended the ceremony along with fellow DJs.

The plaque was unveiled at the Custard Factory in Digbeth, near where de Vit ran a recording studio.

A special DJ set to celebrate his life will be held at The Mill on Saturday evening.

"He was really influential, probably on a par with Carl Cox," said Jez Collins from the Birmingham Music Archive.

During his career, De Vit was nominated for a number of awards including DJ of the year three years running.

Mr Collins, who curated an exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery this year celebrating the city's legendary Que Club, said Birmingham was finally celebrating its musical heritage.

The Commonwealth Games, with performances from Ozzy Osbourne, Duran Duran and Dexys Midnight Runners, to name just a few, have put it in the spotlight.

"There's a real sense this is the time we need to celebrate our music heritage and our contemporary scene too," Mr Collins said.