Session drummer and part-time music teacher Matthew Johnson, of Waverton Road, Bentilee (UK), crashed with his Kawasaki motor last Thursday and died. He was only 32 years old.
Matthew, a former student at Longton High School and Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, was a well-known and widely respected figure in Stoke-on-Trent's music and theatre scenes.
Matthew's band Marlo, made up of four teenagers from North Staffordshire, won the BBC's Get Your Act Together talent show in 1999, when he was just 19. This victory saw Matthew and his bandmates handed a prestigious recording contract with Polydor as their prize.
Matt left Marlo a short time later and joined another North Staffordshire band called Kisa.
They won the Signal One Battle of the Bands contest in 2001 and were awarded a slot at the Live in the City concert at the Britannia Stadium.
Matthew's talents have also seen him employed by several Stoke-on-Trent theatre companies over the years, including Five Towns Theatre, Stage Productions and Stoke-on-Trent Rep.
Matthew had been travelling from Stafford to Hilderstone at around 10.30 am on December 29, 2011 when he lost control of his bike, left the road and landed in a ditch.
The accident occurred on the B5066 Sandon Road, around 300 metres from the crossroads with the B5027 Uttoxeter Road.
Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to the collision and are appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Anyone with information should ring Sergeant 4427 Darren Burney at Staffordshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 191 of 29 December.
