Updated: October 2006
Tony Jackson (Former Searcher) 1938 – 2003
R.I.P Tony
While on holiday in Liverpool August 1995
Got up early, it was a beautiful day, I decided to go down to the pier head. Looking at the Mersey river, It looked so blue, with the cloudless sky and the sun blazing down. I walked around Albert dock for around an hour, just mellowing out. Looking up at the liver building clock, I noticed it was almost 10:45am, I was quite thirsty with the heat an-all, so I headed toward Mathew Street. First pub was the Cavern pub (the Lennon statue is just by the door) I had a pint while listening to the fab four. The Cavern Club didn’t open till 1:00pm, so I went to the ‘Famous Grapes’ and had a couple there while I pondered the day ahead.
I left the grapes after my pondering got me nowhere, and went into the Beatles shop after about half an hour I bought some stuff, I left and crossed the narrow street to ‘Flanagan’s Apple’, I had a couple there while I looked at the stuff I bought. I decided to go to ‘Lennon’s lounge’ next.
As I entered I passed two men talking, I went to the bar and ordered a pint, the girl noticed I was Scottish! she asked if I was on holiday I said yes, I told her I was a sixties music fan and then she pointed to the two men that I passed on the way in and said, do you know them? I replied no, she said they were allan Williams & Tony Jackson! I could not believe my luck, I got a pen & paper from the girl (who sounded like cilla black), and went over to them, they were very nice and signed no problem, they were just leaving and allan said, ‘enjoy your time in the pool’, as you can guess I did, and I still do each year.
All Girl Show
Dusty Springfield’s birthday is on April 6th, and this is the possible start date of the first all-female artists tour due next year 2004. Billie Davis (‘Tell Him’) has been working hard to put the superbly-produced show together, supported by Howard Elsom and Anthony Bishop.It will tell a story highlighting the hits of female stars of the era. Also in the show are, Sue Glover and Linda
Gail Lewis, who has been making a name here as Jerry Lee’s little sister, but she’s not so little!. Look out for ‘Sixties Chicks – The Songbirds’ when the dates are officially announced later this year. Update November 2003.
Kath’s room (chat)
Where merseybeatlover and Kath have fun and friendship. Pop in for a visit. See links page.
Joe’s on song
Some exciting news from our special Liverpool correspondent, Joe Robinson.
He has managed to arrange a visit, photos & interview with Beatles Story Director Jerry Goldman, to talk about both The Beatles Story and Fingerprints of Elvis Exhibitions, in Liverpool, as well as exciting new projects they have on the go. As soon as this is completed, he should have some interesting reports for us.
(Used with permission from ‘The Beat’ mag – see links)
Purple Prose
Last year, the music scene lost Maurice Gibb, Adam Faith, Robert Palmer, Tony Jackson, Johnny Cash and Sheb Wooley. But Wooley had the fastest selling record in the US with, ‘Purple People Eater’, which sold a half a million copies in nine weeks in 1958, matching The Beatles. His passing was not well recorded, but the singing cowboy also acted in ‘High Noon’, ‘Giant’, and the TV series, ‘Rawhide’ – as Pete Nolan. His hit in 1955 ‘Are You Satisfied’, was recorded just as rock ‘n’ roll eclipsed his style of hillbilly country music. Wooley never scored another big hit, but, ‘Purple People Eater’ is still available on, ‘Golden Age of Rock ‘n’ Roll Novelty Edition’ – Ace Records.
Move singer Carl Wayne dies at 61
Carl Wayne, the lead singer of influential 1960s pop group the Move, has died at the age of 61. He had hits with songs such as Flowers in the Rain – the first song to be played on BBC Radio 1 when it began in 1967 – and I Can Hear the Grass Grow. Wayne died peacefully at home on Tuesday morning, 31st August 2004 after battling cancer. He was born on 18 August 1943 in Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham. After the Move, he enjoyed success with the Hollies when he joined
them in 2000. Carl was one of the music businesses’s great characters… It has been an honour to work with him. Bobby Elliot, The Hollies drummer.
Merseybeat Nostalgia
Merseybeat Nostalgia is a truly fab site for anyone who loves the Merseybeat of the sixties. Listen to loads of music and get plenty of facts. See links page, check it out for yourself.
Let him rot
Mark David Chapman, again this month October 2004 he had applied for parole, he has been refused again, My feelings are to let him out and see how long he lasts, even with a face change, new ID, relocation, someone would find him and , well we know what would happen then, as it is that man (MDC), has to watch his back each day in prison, and I hope he suffers for his ignorance in what he did to JOHN WINSTON LENNON,..AND ALL THE FANS THAT (MAN) DEPRIVED US OF….ANY COMMENTS ON THIS MATTER PLEASE E-MAIL ME ON LINKS by merseybeatlover1 (brian)
Cat Stevens snubbed
Singer Cat Stevens was escorted off a passenger flight by FBI agents and denied entry to the US in September 2004. Security sources said the pop star, who converted to Islam and changed his name to Yusef Islam many years ago, was on a security ‘watch list’. The singer was returned to Britain. Stevens, who was denied entry into Israel four years ago, had several hits in the 60’s & 70’s , including ‘Wild World’ , Morning Has Broken’.
He abandoned his music in the late 70’s and was persuaded by orthodox Muslim teachers that his lifestyle was forbidden by Islamic law. (this update November 2004)
The Fab Beatles
Just for those who may think I’m not doing any Beatles stuff …enjoy this pic and visit: Merseybeat on web (Bill Harrys awsome site)
Have a look at ‘The Beat’ mag site on Links!
John Lennon Portfolio
John Winston Lennon was born in Liverpool on October 9, 1940, during the height of WWII, his father, Fred Lennon, off at sea. His father didn’t turn up again until five years later, and when he did he tried to take john away from his mother, Julia, when she refused to restart her life with him. Instead, he grew up in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton, with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George Smith, at 251 Menlove Ave, which became nicknamed Mendips. Julia died in 1958, in an automobile accident practically in front of Mendips, when John was seventeen.
Aunt Mimi ran a very strict household. John very quickly became bored at school, preferring drawing and writing about his classmates and teachers rather than his studies. Rebellious at an early age, he had a very rough school history, sagging off from school (going AWOL from classes) and petty stealing. His future looked bleak until Mimi got the headmaster of the Quarrybank school to write a letter of recommendation for John to the Liverpool Art College, because of his drawings.
It was at Liverpool Art College, in 1956, a friend played him Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel, and John’s musical interest was piqued. Then he heard Lonnie Donegan’s Rock Island Line on Radio Luxembourg, and became part of the new Skiffle craze by begging his Aunt Mimi until she broke down and bought him a guitar, although she forever told him he would never get anywhere with it. He had already learned to play the harmonica during his childhood, and he taught himself the guitar by applying banjo chords that his mother had taught him.
In 1955 he started his own band, the Quarrymen, with his long time pal and fellow troublemaker Pete Shotton, singing all the popular songs, sometimes making up the words when he couldn’t get them all off the radio. Also in the Quarrymen were Nigel Walley and Ivan Vaughan, the rest of John’s gang. It was Ivan Vaughan who introduced John to his friend, Paul McCartney, in 1957.
John married his girlfriend of four years, Cynthia Powell, in 1962. She was pregnant with their son Julian at the time, who was born in April, 1963.
In His Own Words
About his time in art school, John said:
“My whole school life was a case of ‘I couldn’t care less’. It was just a joke as far as I was concerned. Art was the only thing I could do, and my headmaster told me that if I didn’t go to art school I might as well give up life. I wasn’t really keen. I thought it would be a crowd of old men, but I should make the effort and make something of myself. I stayed for five years doing commercial art. Frankly, I found it all as bad as maths and science. And I loathed those. The funny thing was I didn’t even pass art in the GCE. I spent the exam time doing daft cartoons. I got into art school by doing some decent stuff and taking it along to show them.”
On musical differences:
“From our earliest days in Liverpool, George and I on the one hand and Paul on the other had different musical tastes. Paul preferred ‘pop type’ music and we preferred what is now called ‘underground’. This may have led to arguments, particularly between Paul and George, but the contrast in tastes, I’m sure, did more good than harm, musically speaking, and contributed to our success.”
Wonderful Radio London
Offshore radio was an integral part of 60’s music in and around Europe. The notion of pop being broadcast from the North Sea via stations dubbed ‘pirates’ by the media, captured the public’s imagination. The stations’ staff were never truly pirates, because the ships and forts from which they operated were located in international waters. Between 1964 – 1967, most teens went around clutching a ‘tranny’..(transistor radio) tuned to the pirates, as if it were an arm extension. Radio was fun for the first time and the offshore stations were giving us the non-stop music we craved.Radio London became the most successful station, by bringing the US-style Top 40 format to the UK, on 266 metres medium. It was the first time the Brittish public had heard a radio jingle, but those catchy sounds were an instant hit with listeners. The station known affectionately as Big L, also brought us young DJ’s such as Kenny Everett, and Dave Cash who made us laugh by doing whacky things on the air. For myself, merseybeatlover1 I wish we could get back that magical era of 60’s music radio.
Thanks to Mary Payne ,The Beat Mag see links
Till the next time,
Brian Smith
merseybeatlover1