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WATCH: Honorary University of Wolverhampton degree for music mogul who signed Stone Roses

A music mogul who signed The Stone Roses was presented with an honorary degree by the University of Wolverhampton.

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Paul Birch, who founded Revolver Records in 1979 and worked with artists such as Leo Sayer, Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Jane's Addiction, as well as the iconic Manchester group prior to their meteoric rise to fame, was presented with a degree during a ceremony at the Grand Theatre yesterday.

Paul Birch receives an Honorary Fellowship, from Vice-Chancellor Professor Geoff Layer, during a graduation ceremony at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

In 1990, Mr Birch was involved in a court battle with The Stone Roses, who carried out an attack on the record label boss at his Wolverhampton office, throwing paint over him and his girlfriend after a dispute over a re-release of their song Sally Cinnamon.

The 60 year old, who has turned his attentions to selling coffee in recent years, still lives in Wolverhampton with his wife and three children.

During a speech at a presentation ceremony for creative arts and design graduates, Mr Birch said: "I am very grateful for this award, it is the first time I have been recognised in this way.

"I started out in the music industry making tea and now I make coffee for a living, in between I have been involved in the music industry and done a bit of lecturing too.

"In life, we all pursue our dreams and chase money, however the important thing is the time you have doing those.

"I wish everyone here the best of luck with their careers and I hope you use your time wisely."

After many successful years with Revolver Records, Mr Birch stepped away from focusing solely on music to set up Revolver Co-Operative in 2011.

Revolver World Coffee is now sold in around 400 Co-Operative stores across the country, plus 50 more shops across Wiltshire and Shropshire.

The company has offered a wide variety of internships to University of Wolverhampton students over the last few years.

Jon Elsmore, dean of students, said: "This honorary degree is recognition of an outstanding contribution made by Paul Birch across his two professional fields.

"For those who are collecting their degrees today, he is an example of an outstanding entrepreneur.

"Creative industries are a high priority for this university and our graduates are highly regarded in the world of design."

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