(Vocals, b. 1940) Born Harry Webb in India, Cliff Richard is the ultimate British pop star, with over 100 UK hit singles to his credit since 1958, when ‘Move It’, widely regarded as the first credible British rock’n’roll record, reached the UK Top 3. More than a dozen UK No. 1s include 1959’s ‘Living Doll’ and ‘Travellin’ Light’, ‘The Young Ones’ (1962) and ‘Summer Holiday’ (1963), both title songs of movies ...
Anthony James Donegan was born in Glasgow, the son of a professional violinist, on 29 April 1931. The family moved to the east end of London when Tony, as he was then known, was two. He finally got the guitar he craved in his early teens. He attended his first jazz club soon after and was smitten by singer Beryl Bryden – their paths would cross again. He was also influenced ...
(Vocals, b. 1936) Born Thomas Hicks, Steele began playing ersatz British rock’n’roll at the London 2I’s coffee bar. Spotted by Fleet Street photographer John Kennedy, who became his manager, Steele co-wrote ‘Rock With The Caveman’ with Lionel Bart, and the single made the UK Top 20. In 1957, Steele covered ‘Singing The Blues’, which topped the UK chart. Later that year the biopic, The Tommy Steele Story, was released, and Steele ...
The 1950s was the decade when the straitjacket imposed by the recent world war was loosened a little – and rock took full advantage. The Sun studios in Memphis and Chess Records in Chicago were the places to be as the likes of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry turned the existing generation gap into a chasm. Though he did not always appear in vision, Bill Haley reaped the rewards ...
A cheap acoustic guitar, a washboard, some thimbles, a tea chest, a broom handle and a length of string, together with a modicum of musical talent – these were all that was required for skiffle, an amalgam of American jazz, blues and folk that caught on with Britain’s largely cash-strapped teenagers in 1956 and 1957, temporarily challenging the supremacy of rock’n’roll. Rhythmic and decidedly upbeat, skiffle was a white, Anglicized extension ...
AUTHORITATIVE
An extensive music information resource, bringing together the talents and expertise of a wide range of editors and musicologists, including Stanley Sadie, Charles Wilson, Paul Du Noyer, Tony Byworth, Bob Allen, Howard Mandel, Cliff Douse, William Schafer, John Wilson...
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Classical, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Country and more. Flame Tree has been making encyclopaedias and guides about music for over 20 years. Now Flame Tree Pro brings together a huge canon of carefully curated information on genres, styles, artists and instruments. It's a perfect tool for study, and entertaining too, a great companion to our music books.
David Bowie
Fantastic new, unofficial biography covers
his life, music, art and movies, with a
sweep of incredible photographs.