UK Singles Chart

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Little further digging indicates that Laurie Jay probably died around very late Feb/early March 2017 - seems to be definitely dead by 6 March:

 

[Toast 16,152]

15 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Colin Green seems to have been quite a prolific musician, becoming a member of, then leaving, then rejoining Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames. His home page is here: http://colingreen.co.uk/index.html says at the bottom he is living in South Oxfordshire with his missus Christine and son Morgan, so some family there.

Can't seem to find anything indicating his age.

 

Didcot, I think.  You could ring him up if you're cheeky enough.   His phone number's on the tuition page.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

31 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Nero And The Gladiators.

 

Colin Green seems to have been quite a prolific musician, becoming a member of, then leaving, then rejoining Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames. His home page is here: http://colingreen.co.uk/index.html says at the bottom he is living in South Oxfordshire with his missus Christine and son Morgan, so some family there.

 

Can't seem to find anything indicating his age.

 

Haven't been able to trace a Will and Probate for Laurence Jacobs aka Laurie Jay, or anything in the intestate estates. Maybe he died abroad?

Spain? 

Yeah Laurie Jay is bizarre.

According to Wikipedia (and some blogs online) he was born Laurence Joseph Jacobson. I can't find a birth or a death for him in the GRO! Even if I fiddle around with the first name and the surname.

 

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Nirvana (British Band)

 

Not quite sure but someone seems to have done the legwork on Alex Spyropoulos, suggesting here he was born in 1941, and from other sources most definitely in Greece. http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2017/03/nirvana-original-rainbow-chasers.html

 

I saw a print interview with Campbell-Lyons from last year indicating he was now living and working in Greece.

 

Pity there weren't more successful, Rainbow Chaser is a mighty fine song of its time.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

6 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Nirvana (British Band)

 

Not quite sure but someone seems to have done the legwork on Alex Spyropoulos, suggesting here he was born in 1941, and from other sources most definitely in Greece. http://andrewdarlington.blogspot.com/2017/03/nirvana-original-rainbow-chasers.html

 

I saw a print interview with Campbell-Lyons from last year indicating he was now living and working in Greece.

 

Pity there weren't more successful, Rainbow Chaser is a mighty fine song of its time.

Brilliant, thanks!

Yes agreed, I have that album actually. A pity that they didn't receive more acclaim at the time really.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

"K" is now complete on page one.

Missing info for the following acts: Nelson Keene, Keith Kelly, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, The Kingsmen and The Krew Kats

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Johnny Kidd And The Pirates.

 

Sadly, little to report from my searches on the missing members. However, Mike West has a trail being vocalist with Robbie Hood And His Merry Men and then managed by Reg Calvert which led me to this page: http://www.regcalvert-plays.co.uk/re-unions-of-the-boys.php

 

Says on the only mention of West that he is "no longer with us", so - dead. When, where, etc, who knows.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

22 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Johnny Kidd And The Pirates.

 

Sadly, little to report from my searches on the missing members. However, Mike West has a trail being vocalist with Robbie Hood And His Merry Men and then managed by Reg Calvert which led me to this page: http://www.regcalvert-plays.co.uk/re-unions-of-the-boys.php

 

Says on the only mention of West that he is "no longer with us", so - dead. When, where, etc, who knows.

Thanks, added. Sadly this is why this whole thing is tedious at times.

Five of them only played on that first record, then they were (for the most part) never to be heard of again. Was tempted to just leave them out as they more or less acting as session musicians but everywhere online they're credited as members of the group. *sigh* Maybe I will try and email a few ppl about this one eventually.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

On 29/02/2020 at 20:01, Ulitzer95 said:

B

Chris Barber's Jazz Band
Wiki UK bandleader and jazz trombonist who formed his own group in 1949 (Lonnie Donegan was an early member), awarded an OBE in 1991
Chris Barber 17 April 1930 – Living
Graham Burbidge 01 Oct 1933 – Jan 2003 (69)
Pat Halcox 18 Mar 1930 – 04 Feb 2013 (82) Guardian obit
Ottilie Patterson 31 Jan 1932 – 20 Jun 2011 (79) Guardian obit
Dick Smith 02 Sep 1931 – 31 May 2014 (83)
Eddie Smith Aug 1929 – Oct 1992 (63)
Monty Sunshine 09 Apr 1928 – 30 Nov 2010 (82) Guardian obit
Ian Wheeler 13 Jan 1931 – Jun 2011 (80) Independent obit
13/02/1959 Petite Fleur #3
09/10/1959 Lonesome (Si tu vois ma mere) #27
04/01/1962 Revival #43
 

A few days late but Happy 90th birthday Chris Barber!

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

2 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

A few days late but Happy 90th birthday Chris Barber!

 

 

Yeah, and...

 

Thanks for reminding us how old you are 

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

I've finished all acts under "W".

Missing bio info for:

The Waikikis
Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band
Dodie West
Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs
The Wurzels

[YoungWillz 21,062]

I think Great Uncle Bulgaria is the Wurzels expert here, so I'm leaving them!

[maryportfuncity 10,657]

5 hours ago, YoungWillz said:

I think Great Uncle Bulgaria is the Wurzels expert here, so I'm leaving them!

 

 

Pretty sure the Wiki page on the Wurzels has all the requisite names

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wurzels

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

"P" is up on page one.

Missing info for the following: 

The Packabeats
Hal Paige and the Whalers
Danny Peppermint and the Jumping Jacks
Steve Perry
The Piltdown Men
Ping Ping and Al Verlaine
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
The Pyramids

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Pinkerton's Assorted Colours.

 

I see you have no info on Tom Long.

 

I found this page: http://www.bobleroi.co.uk/ScrapBook/CallUpPinks/CallUpTheGroups_Pinks.html

 

About half way down, you can see Tom Long's Radio City Membership card which gives his 1965 address as 68 Cromwell Road, Rugby. Now, come on, at that point he's not famous and probably hasn't made much money and going by the comparative ages of his bandmates, it is probably the family home. I'm guessing he's around 18-20 at this point. Might be a good start for your Ancestry searches.

 

Haven't looked into the others.

[YoungWillz 21,062]

The Pyramids.

 

These Jamaican bands are a nightmare! Nobody gives their ages away from what I can see.

 

However, I have managed to ascertain that Josh Roberts is dead. There was this Twitter post:

 

Monty Neysmith confirms his death in this interview from September 2019: https://subcultz.com/2019/09/19/the-pyramids-interview-with-monty-neysmith/

 

Neysmith's Twitter page hasn't had any activity on it from 2019, but he is posting on Facebook as recently as March 2020. Seems to be gutted about having to cancel performances due to the pandemic.

 

From what I can see there are slightly conflicting line-ups on the net - not surprising, par for the course on the dancehall/rocksteady scene where someone claims to have been on the record. Anyhow, I haven't seen anything contradicting the rest being alive.

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Steve Perry.

 

According to the comments here, born in Guildford, Surrey on August 10th, 1944: http://www.45cat.com/record/f11526

 

Time for some cereal and bed!

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Danny Peppermint And The Jumping Jacks.

 

Never mind, misread the entry. Who were those pesky Jumping Jacks? Peppermint Lounge House Band? I know I've read about them when researching someone else on this thread!

 

Edit: I should say, no further help on W and P.

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Aww, bugger it, I went and looked on Twitter for Al Verlane.

 

His grandson appears to be this guy Jerry Ropero Verlackt:

He has links to various Facebook posts on his Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jerryropero (search "Al Verlane") and he's indicated his grandfather died "over 20 years ago" in something I could read posted in 2014 - so we are talking a death in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

 

Right, throw me another letter cos I'm done with the ones so far, ha!

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

Thanks so much for all these finds @YoungWillz.

Found Tom Long in the GRO – or at least most certainly him – Thomas A. Long b. 1945 (the only Thomas Long from Rugby, Warwickshire born within a five year period. It would match his age on that page you found).

Verlane (or Verlaine as it's spelt on the record, probably erroneously) is annoying me, as is Ping Ping. I may message his grandson eventually!

Had problems with all the Jamaican groups sadly. Though found birth details in the strangest of places e.g. Companies House! 

Perry I really wanted because there's a good chance he might die off radar and so having a birth date will allow me to find him retrospectively in the future – thanks!

I am blitzing my way through other letters right now. I have 335 acts left overall so vast majority is now done. If you find yourself bored I've done a chunk of acts in the remaining 7 letters and some of them are missing info. Cheers!

[YoungWillz 21,062]

Tony Sheveton.

 

Interesting. His Facebook page indicates currently resident in Hengoed, Glamorgan and that he was in Class of '56 at Cantonian High School, Fairweather, Cardiff. Assuming he left school anywhere between 14 and 16, this puts his birthdate back to anywhere between 1939 and 1942. There is another FB page with similar pictures to his page which calls him Tony Cheverton, so maybe his pre-fame/post fame name? Still seems to be knocking about.

 

I'm not on FB, so I cannot check further.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

56 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Tony Sheveton.

 

Interesting. His Facebook page indicates currently resident in Hengoed, Glamorgan and that he was in Class of '56 at Cantonian High School, Fairweather, Cardiff. Assuming he left school anywhere between 14 and 16, this puts his birthdate back to anywhere between 1939 and 1942. There is another FB page with similar pictures to his page which calls him Tony Cheverton, so maybe his pre-fame/post fame name? Still seems to be knocking about.

 

I'm not on FB, so I cannot check further.

Anthony M. Cheverton, born Cardiff, 1940 as per the GRO.

Cheers!

[The Old Crem 3,608]

51 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Tony Sheveton.

 

Interesting. His Facebook page indicates currently resident in Hengoed, Glamorgan and that he was in Class of '56 at Cantonian High School, Fairweather, Cardiff. Assuming he left school anywhere between 14 and 16, this puts his birthdate back to anywhere between 1939 and 1942. There is another FB page with similar pictures to his page which calls him Tony Cheverton, so maybe his pre-fame/post fame name? Still seems to be knocking about.

 

I'm not on FB, so I cannot check further.

School leaving age was 15 by 1956 so probably not born in 1942.

[Ulitzer95 12,654]

On 29/02/2020 at 20:16, Ulitzer95 said:

S

The Statler Brothers
Wiki American country and gospel vocal group from Staunton, Virginia, despite their name only Don and Harold Reid were real brothers, from 1964 to 1972 they were a backing group for Johnny Cash
Phil Balsley 08 Aug 1939 – Living
Lew DeWitt 12 Mar 1938 – 15 Aug 1990 (52) LA Times obit
Don Reid 05 Jun 1945 – Living
Harold Reid 21 Aug 1939 – 24 Apr 2020 (80) NY Times obit
24/02/1966 Flowers on the Wall #38
 

As mentioned elsewhere, Harold Reid has died.

One hit wonder – #38 in '66.

[YoungWillz 21,062]

10 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

As mentioned elsewhere, Harold Reid has died.

One hit wonder – #38 in '66.

Touch of the Randy Scouse Git in there - amazed they didn't sue!