Meet the man who turned me away from the Roof Gardens
- By Richard Branson -
- Jul 12, 2012
When I turned up at the Roof Gardens 31 years ago, the man on the door turned me away because I was dressed in jeans and scruffy shoes. Later that year I bought the club.
The man who turned me away was Alfredo Fernandez. He was on the door again the first time I visited the club as its owner – he turned me away again, until somebody whispered in his ear that I was now his boss!
Of course, no grudges were held, and Alfredo has gone on to be one of our most brilliant and loyal employees. He stayed with the company for over 30 years and retired last week. We all thank him for his wonderful service.
In fact, when The Roof Gardens won the Best Live Music Venue at the 2012 London Bar and Club awards, I gave the trophy to Alfredo.
Music is where it all started for Virgin, and we’re proud to still be leading from the front in the industry, from fantastic live events and festivals to online with Virgin Red Room and Virgin Mobile Live. Long may it continue.
By Richard Branson. Founder of Virgin Group
