He is receiving the Honorary Doctorate of Arts in recognition of his services to rock music and the history of rock music, after writing three well received books about his life, The Hacienda nightclub and the bands in which he has played.
The musician, whose bass guitar playing was a driving force in the sound of New Order and Joy Division and who continues to perform across the world as Peter Hook And The Light.
Born in Ordsall close to the University’s MediaCityUK campus, Hooky – as he is known to his many fans – has strong links with the city, attending Salford Grammar School and working as a clerk at Manchester Ship Canal Company on Chester Road in the same job that was once held by George Best while the footballer was an apprentice at Manchester United.
But it was an obscure gig at Manchester’s Free Trade Hall that changed Hook’s life forever when he attended the now legendary Sex Pistols concert in 1976 and, after borrowing £35 from his mother to buy his first bass guitar, he formed Warsaw – the band which went on to become Joy Division.
The band reinvented itself as New Order after the tragic death of lead singer Ian Curtis, releasing a string of seminal albums under Tony Wilson’s Factory Records label and creating a sound which continues to influence bands decades later.
As well as revisiting New Order and Joy Division’s extensive back catalogue with his new band The Light, Hooky has also revived The Hacienda nightclub – seen by many as the birthplace of rave culture – and is a director of FAC251 in Manchester.
He now oversees Hacienda Classical, which performs orchestral versions of the euphoric dance tracks the club became known for, at venues such as Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall and opened Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage.
Hooky remains a passionate supporter of his home city, working actively with a wide range of organisations such as Salford Lads Club, Ordsall Juniors Football Club and Salford Arts Theatre.
Peter Hook said: “As a very proud Salfordian, this is very much a personal pinnacle for me. I always looked on the University of Salford as a very special place, from my nights in the Student Union until Joy Division played the main hall, I always thought of it as a very special institution. To now be a part of it is incredibly humbling.
“Tony Wilson and Alan Wise always used to impress on me how underplayed Salford was in our region’s musical history. I am very happy to used this occasion to prove how important Salford was and still is.”
