'I lost my home, the venues, everything… I lived on a boat on a canal. It was great'

'King of Music' Vince Power tells Barry Egan about his friendships with Van Morrison and Mo Mowlam, childhood tragedies, his conflict over accepting a CBE from the queen, his fall from grace and his subsequent comeback

Vince Power at Camden Lock in London where he recently bought the Dingwalls venue. Photo: Jonathan Goldberg

In the summer of 1972, Jack Power was dying of cancer in hospital in Waterford. His son Vince would drive over in his furniture van from London to see him. When he was leaving, without fail, Vince would say to his father: "I'll come back next week, dad". Jack's reply would always be the same: "I won't be around next week, son".