Many of the most eminent classical musicians lived in Sussex including Sir Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan-Williams.

But pop music has an even greater affinity with the county starting with the best known group of all, The Beatles.

When they played the Hippodrome in Middle Street Brighton back in 1964 as part of a grand tour they were at the height of their fame and had to be smuggled out of the theatre wearing postal uniforms borrowed from the neighbouring depot.

Similar adulation in the form of screaming girls was heard soon after when the Rolling Stones paid a visit to the same venue.

Paul McCartney eventually settled in Peasmarsh near Rye with his wife Linda and brought up their family there.

Later after Linda’s early death, he moved to Hove seafront with his second wife Heather Mills but moved when that marriage ended in acrimony.

The Stones liked Sussex too and Keith Richard bought a substantial home in West Wittering which was once raided for drugs.

Sadly Brian Jones was found drowned in the swimming pool of a house in Hartfield that had once been the home of author A A Milne. He had been staying there.

Many top stars have appeared at the Brighton Centre which can hold 5,000 people. They have included Shirley Bassey, Status Quo, Jules Holland and Leonard Cohen.

A plaque commemorates Bing Crosby who gave his last concert there before dying from a heart attack on a Spanish golf course.

Adam Faith lived near Henfield and his protégée Leo Sayer in Shoreham. The Levellers and Stomp have both enjoyed a long association with Brighton. Song writer David Courtney is based at Brighton Marina.

The Who mentioned Brighton in their rock opera Tommy and Roger Daltry was among many stars who bought a manor house, his being in deepest East Sussex. Over in the west, Phil Collins bought a pad near Kirdford.

Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame lives on Hove seafront while only a mile away is the luxurious home of bestselling artiste Adele.

She has a home in Western Esplanade close to the house owned by Fat Boy Slim and Zoe Ball who also own the former Lagoon café.

Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin and Suggs from the group Madness also had strong Sussex connections.

Dame Vera Lynn, known during the Second World War as the Forces’ Sweetheart, is the most celebrated resident of Ditchling.

Several band leaders including Henry Hall, Harry Leader and Ray Noble were based for a time in Sussex.

Pop impresario Simon Cowell has links with Ovingdean where his mother lived and the Grade family, who were great show business promoters, had a home north of Brighton.

Alma Cogan, extremely popular as a singer in the 1950s before she died sadly young, had a home in Worthing.

Some celebrated stars have been missed out because there are simply too many of them. And with more than 500 bands playing in Brighton alone today, more big names will undoubtedly emerge in the future.