Rock ’n’ Roll Pioneer Wilko Johnson honoured with c2c train

June 10, 2025

Local rail operator Trenitalia c2c is proud to have honoured rock 'n' roll icon, Essex native and co-founder of the legendary band Dr. Feelgood, Wilko Johnson, with a specially commissioned train nameplate at a ceremony at Southend Central station.

The nameplate, which can be seen on unit 357316, reads ‘Wilko Johnson 1947-2022 - He did it right,’ and plays tribute to the legendary Dr. Feelgood song ‘She Did it Right.’ It was unveiled by Wilko’s son Simon Johnson on platform 4 at Southend Central station. He said: ‘’It is very touching that c2c are honouring my father in this way. I am told this is a tribute usually only reserved for poets and royalty. As an aspiring poet, I know he would be well chuffed.”

The event was attended by a host of special guests including fellow Dr. Feelgood bandmates Norman Watt-Roy and John B Sparks, as well as Wilko’s brother Malcolm Johnson and many friends including Kursaal Flyers frontman, Will Birch.

The event also featured a live musical performance both on the platform and on board the charter train from cast members of ‘Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll’. The critically acclaimed production is heading to London’s West End in July - written by Jonathan Maitland, who also attended the ceremony - celebrating Wilko’s life and music.

Performers Johnson Willis, John House and Georgina Field delivered a special rendition of R&B classic ‘Route 66’ - with lyrics adapted to celebrate Southend and the Essex coastline. The ‘Wilko Express’ - as the train has been affectionally named - departed Southend Central on its maiden voyage to London Fenchurch Street, calling at key ‘Wilko’ locations along the route including Westcliff, Benfleet and Barking.

c2c Managing Director, Rob Mullen, said: “We are delighted to have been able to honour Wilko with the ‘Wilko Express,’ it was artists like him and his bandmates in Dr. Feelgood that had such an amazing impact on the punk scene in the 1970s that it inspired the likes of Roger Daltrey and Paul Weller to follow in his footsteps.

“Away from the fame, he was a dedicated member of our local community throughout his life and used our line often when travelling across Essex. He travelled the world yet always came home to Essex and c2c. We are proud to recognise his inimitable contribution to British music and our local communities by having his family and friends turn out to celebrate this honour,” he added.

Jonathan Maitland added: “Wilko was a hugely significant cultural figure, nationally and internationally, but he was above all a proud Essex man, so we are delighted that c2c has chosen to honour him in this way. I can’t think of anyone who’s had the honour of a train naming ceremony and then, three weeks later, been the subject of a West End play. But then Wilko was unique.”

Born in Canvey Island, Wilko Johnson was famed for his electrifying stage presence and unique guitar style. As one of the driving forces behind Dr. Feelgood, he helped shape the foundations of punk rock, earning praise from music legends including Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.

The tribute comes at a celebratory time for fans, with the stage play ‘Wilko: Love and Death and Rock and Roll’ heading to London’s iconic West End, opening at the Leicester Square Theatre this July following sold-out performances in Hornchurch and Southwark. Meanwhile, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Feelgood’s landmark debut album ‘Down by the Jetty’- a record that continues to inspire generations of musicians.

Wilko’s legacy also features prominently in Scene by the Sea, an ongoing exhibition at Southend’s Beecroft Gallery exploring the area’s musical and cultural history.