MY HISTORY
Let me go back to the beginning. I was discovered in The U.K. by famous Jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Humphrey Lyttelton, and Jazz clarinetist Sandy Brown, who were both instrumental in getting me started - great guys! They got me a BBC sound audition way back in 1958. I did my audition at Aeolian Hall, Bond Street, in London. I played guitar and sang three songs at that audition and the 'powers that be' were very pleased and I passed first time! It was known as "The Voice Test" in those days and the BBC was very strict, structured and professional. I still have my certificate to prove that I passed my BBC audition! I then went on to get a recording contract with Pye/Nixa Records and my 1958 single 'Blonde Bombshell', backed with 'Make Ready for Love' was released and played nationwide. So, from an early age I appeared on major Radio and TV shows. My appearances on the popular BBC TV show, '6-5 Special' were special indeed! It was a live TV show with a studio audience that went out every Saturday evening at peak viewing time and it was the best and most spontaenous, exciting show on TV with every band and artist performing live. Other shows that followed never quite matched up.
BBC Radio shows include 'Saturday Club', 'Easy Beat', 'The Talent Spot', 'Ring-A-Ding-Ding', 'Late Extra' and various other regional Radio and TV shows. I was also lucky enough to appear on the AR-TV show 'Cool for Cats' and ITV's 'Saturday Spectacular'. More recordings followed. In 1962 I recorded 'Come on and Do the High Life', coupled with 'High Life Girl' on the Palette label, which was recorded at their Brussels studio with a big orchestra, big percussion section and eight backing vocalists. The 'High Life' was a dance craze and I sang and danced my way to the bank!! I appeared on the major TV show 'Thank Your Lucky Stars' doing the 'High Life' too!
I also made one of the very first color films for 'The Cinebox' performing the 'High Life'. The Cinebox was a jukebox with a screen built on top of it, so you inserted your coin and selected your record the same as a jukebox but also saw the artist performing on screen. This is the first type of music video that ever was. Very few artists were selected to make films for the Cinebox. The Cinebox is now called 'Colorama' in the US, and is still big business in America.
During the 70's I recorded a controversial but factual song titled 'They Died at Wounded Knee' on the Sol-Doon label (a subsidiary of Pye Records). It was adapted from the million-selling novel 'Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee', by Dee Brown. I still perform that song on a lot of my shows! And guess what! I am even listed in the Rare Record Collector book which lists more than 75,000 record titles!
In 1985 I did a long, gruelling six-month tour with a stunt car show called 'The American Fall Guys' and I was the linkman and commentator. We appeared on the TV programme 'Top Gear' and I can be seen introducing that stunt show. Four years later I worked as a Horserider/Stuntman/Commentator with a Wild West show at the American Adventure theme park in Ilkeston, near Derby in England. We opened that show and the theme park, which I believe is still there today!