FAMILY and friends of a popular Ipswich entertainer have today paid tribute to a man who lived for his music.Michael Clarke of the long running Bubble and Squeak Roadshow disco died aged 44, after a heart attack.

FAMILY and friends of a popular Ipswich entertainer have today paid tribute to a man who lived for his music.

Michael Clarke of the long running Bubble and Squeak Roadshow disco died aged 44, after a heart attack.

Mr Clarke had been running the well-known disco since he was 16 and had entertained guests at hundreds of family parties, weddings and social club gigs until ill health forced him to stop working in 2001.

Originally from Hadleigh, Mr Clarke spent ten years living in Ipswich and later moved to Timperleys, Hintlesham, where he was living until his death.

Mr Clarke had one daughter, nine-year-old Abbey, and also leaves a brother, Ray and sisters Joyce and Linda.

Both Ray and Mr Clarke's ex-wife Gina have paid tribute to a man they said lived for music.

Ray said: "He loved his music and he always wanted to do it, he'd have loved to do it as a full time job."

While the disco kept Mr Clarke busy at weekends he also spent 15 years working for his brother's welding company.

Mr Clarke had several partners at Bubble and Squeak over the years, including Gina before the birth of their daughter.

He first started out with schoolfriend Paul Fairweather before later pairing up with another friend, Paul Orris, his wife Gina and, until he stopped working, Jerry Seaman.

Ray said: "When they first started out they played what they wanted, but once he got established he knew what people wanted. He would see who was about and play the music to suit.

"He was very popular, there is so many people whose weddings he'd done and then it would lead to birthdays, anniversaries and then the children's weddings.

"People stop me in the street and say they remember him at their wedding."

The Bubble and Squeak Roadshow had also had regular gigs at The Falcon pub in Ipswich, the White Rose in Lindsey and at the Pauls and Whites Social Club in Ipswich.

Gina, Mr Clarke's ex-wife said the couple had remained friends and she had fond memories of the popularity of Bubble and Squeak.

She said: "It is difficult to comprehend that he's not around anymore.

"The disco was a big part of our lives, the thing that sticks in my mind is that we never got invited to go anywhere because we'd always get asked to do the disco, you never got asked anywhere as a social thing.

"But we played what people wanted and listened to people. He would tailor his disco to what they wanted and could tailor it from an eighteenth to a ninetieth."

Mr Clarke had battled with diabetes since childhood and the condition eventually led to poor circulation, meaning he had to have some toes amputated.

He also had problems with his kidneys and needed regular dialysis.

Mr Clarke died at his Hintlesham home following a heart attack on May 18.

His funeral will be held on Tuesday at 11.45am at Ipswich Crematorium and friends are welcome to attend.