Echo News

Clubbers mourn 'spinny man' Kenneth Sennett

By Melanie Adams

5:00pm Saturday 18th August 2012

HE spun his way into the hearts of thousands – turning himself into a cult hero of Southampton ’s nightclub scene.

With his non-stop spinning moves and extensive collection of silk shirts, Kenneth Sennett – known to many as the Spinny Man – became a legend on the city’s dance floors.

Today tributes have flooded in for the “irreplaceable” 56-year-old, from Thornhill , whose sudden death on Thursday has left his army of friends devastated.

However, his legacy lives on with his many fans vowing to take to the dance floor this weekend for a spin in his honour.

His death came as a shock to the 2,000 people who work in the Nelson Gate complex in Southampton, where he has been a janitor for more than 15 years.

A post mortem to determine how Mr Sennett died was carried out yesterday but the results have yet to be released.

His boss and close friend Dean Townend said people were distraught. The alarm was only raised when Kenny failed to arrive for work as he is never late.

Mr Townend said: “Kenny was a much loved and key member of the Nelson Gate team. To many he was a longstanding friend, to all he was the happy chappy that was always working and smiling. Nothing was too much trouble.

“Kenny was one of the few that will be ‘irreplaceable’. Our thoughts go out to all his family and friends.”

It was his spinning on the dance floor of nightclub Jumpin’ Jaks that won him a legion of fans and cult status – he was the first up dancing, not stopping until closing time.

Even when he went to the bar for his pint of blackcurrant he would do a shoulder shimmy and DJs would play Kylie’s Spinning Around and Dead or Alive’s You Spin Me Round in his honour.

He was a permanent feature on nights out for more than a decade and when Jumpin’ Jaks closed he continued to dazzle crowds in other clubs. He was also spotted spinning in Ibiza and Las Vegas.

Anna Duff, speaking on behalf of staff who worked at Jumpin’ Jaks, said: “Kenny was a true gentleman. His flamboyant flair in the silky shirts he wore transformed him into a local celebrity.

“I would love for his family to know how much he meant to us all and hope that brings them some comfort to know that he was loved by so many people just for being Kenny.”

Mark O’Connell, who once counted 203 continuous spins by Mr Sennett, added: “With his brightly coloured silk shirts, he would get everyone in the mood to party, and was always a highlight of the night. He will be sadly missed and always remembered.”

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