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Bill Smith (English Musician)
William Frederick Smith (born 12 July 1940) is an English former musician, who was a founding member of The Quarrymen. His tenure with the group was short, only performing with them for one month (November 1956). The Quarrymen Smith attended Quarry Bank High School. In 1956, classmates John Lennon and Eric Griffiths decided to form a skiffle group in November 1956. This initial line-up consisted of Lennon and Griffiths on guitars, Pete Shotton on washboard, and school friend Smith on tea chest bass. Smith acquired a tea chest bass by stealing one from the woodwork shop at their school: The group, initially called the Blackjacks, quickly changed its name to the Quarrymen. Smith's tenure in the band was extremely short, and he was replaced in quick succession by Nigel Walley, Ivan Vaughan, and Len Garry throughout late 1956 and early 1957. Smith's tea chest bass was stolen by John Lennon and Pete Shotton. The two managed to steal by leaving school early with a forged letter c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population of (in ), Liverpool is the administrative, cultural and economic centre of the Liverpool City Region, a combined authority, combined authority area with a population of over 1.5 million. Established as a borough in Lancashire in 1207, Liverpool became significant in the late 17th century when the Port of Liverpool was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade. The port also imported cotton for the Textile manufacture during the British Industrial Revolution, Lancashire textile mills, and became a major departure point for English and Irish emigrants to North America. Liverpool rose to global economic importance at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and was home to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, firs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Washboard (musical Instrument)
The washboard and frottoir (from Louisiana French "frotter", to rub) are used as a percussion instrument, employing the ribbed metal surface of the cleaning device as a rhythm instrument. As traditionally used in jazz, zydeco, skiffle, jug band, and old-time music, the washboard remained in its wooden frame and is played primarily by tapping, but also scraping the washboard with thimbles. Often the washboard has additional traps, such as a Woodblock (instrument), wood block, a cowbell (instrument), cowbell, and even small cymbals. Conversely, the frottoir (zydeco rubboard) dispenses with the frame and consists simply of the metal ribbing hung around the neck. It is played primarily with spoon handles or bottle openers in a combination of strumming, scratching, tapping and rolling. The frottoir or ''vest frottoir'' is played as a stroked percussion instrument, often in a band with a drummer, while the washboard generally is a replacement for drums. There is a Polish tradition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1940 Births
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, events related to World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January 4 – WWII: Luftwaffe Chief and Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring assumes control of most war industries in Nazi Germany, Germany, in his capacity as Plenipotentiary for the Four Year Plan. *January 6 – WWII: Winter War – General Semyon Timoshenko takes command of all Soviet forces. *January 7 – WWII: Winter War: Battle of Raate Road – Outnumbered Finnish troops decisively defeat Soviet forces. *January 8 – WWII: **Winter War: Battle of Suomussalmi – Finnish forces destroy the 44th Rifle Division (Soviet Union), Soviet 44th Rifle Division. **Food rationing in the United Kingdom begins; it will remain in force until 1954. *January 9 – WWII: British submarine is sunk in the Heligoland Bight. *January 10 – WWII: Mechele ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire to the east, Wiltshire to the south, Bristol and Somerset to the south-west, and the Wales, Welsh county of Monmouthshire to the west. The city of Gloucester is the largest settlement and the county town. The county is predominantly rural, with an area of and a population of 916,212. After Gloucester (118,555) the largest distinct settlements are Cheltenham (115,940), Stroud (26,080), and Yate (28,350). In the south of the county, the areas around Filton and Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, Kingswood are densely populated and part of Bristol Built-up Area, Bristol built-up area. For Local government in England, local government purposes Gloucestershire comprises a non-metropolitan county, with six districts, and the Unitary authorities ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Len Garry
Leonard Charles 'Len' Garry (born 6 January 1942) is an English musician, best known for being a member of The Quarrymen, a band who would later evolve into The Beatles. Childhood Garry was born at 77 Lance Lane, Wavertree, Liverpool. His father, Henry, worked as a compositor at the Liverpool Daily Post, and his mother, Phyllis, was a housewife. His older brother, Walter, was born three years earlier. Garry attended Mosspits Lane Primary School, which included future Quarrymen members Pete Shotton and Nigel Walley, and briefly, John Lennon. Len learned how to play the piano as a child. The Quarrymen 1957-1958 In 1953, Garry was attending Liverpool Institute High School for Boys, when he met Ivan Vaughan. Vaughan would introduce Garry to Paul McCartney. The two briefly knew each other, as they were in the same German class. Two years later, Garry met John Lennon. In 1956, The Quarrymen was formed. The Quarrymen's original tea-chest bassist, Bill Smith, stopped showing up f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ivan Vaughan
Ivan Vaughan (18 June 1942 – 16 August 1993) was an English musician and teacher best known for introducing two of his childhood friends, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, in 1957. Biography Vaughan was born in Liverpool on the same day as McCartney and they both commenced school at the Liverpool Institute in September 1953. Vaughan studied classics at University College London, married in 1966 and settled down to family life with a son and daughter. From 1973 to 1983, Vaughan taught psychology at Homerton College, Cambridge. On grounds of ill health, he had to take early retirement. Vaughan died in Liverpool on 16 August 1993 of pneumonia, at the age of 51. Lennon and McCartney At age 4, Vaughan became friends with a 6-year-old John Lennon. Lennon led a crew of friends with Vaughan, Nigel Walley, and Pete Shotton, who hung out around Liverpool at places like Strawberry Field. Vaughan met McCartney upon their entry to the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys in 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nigel Walley
Christopher Nigel Walley (born 30 June 1941) is an English former golfer and tea-chest bass player and manager, best known for his association with band the Quarrymen, the precursor of the Beatles which included John Lennon. His surname has often been spelt incorrectly as 'Whalley' in numerous books and on web pages. Early life Walley's father was Chief Superintendent Harry Walley, who was the head of Liverpool's Police 'A' Division. The Walley family lived in Vale Road, Liverpool, which was at the back of Lennon's home at 251 Menlove Avenue, belonging to his aunt and guardian, Mimi Smith. Walley was the eldest of three other siblings, Clive, Angela & Carol. Walley and Lennon became friends at the age of five, even though Walley and Pete Shotton (who also lived in Vale Road) went to Mosspits Lane Infant/Junior School, while Lennon and Ivan Vaughan attended Dovedale Infant School. Note: Lennon had originally attended Mosspits Lane School, but was expelled for bullying another ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tea Chest Bass
The washtub bass, or gutbucket, is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by pushing or pulling on a staff or stick to change the tension. The washtub bass was used in jug bands that were popular in some African American communities in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, British skiffle bands used a variant called a tea chest bass, and during the 1960s, US folk musicians used the washtub bass in jug band-influenced music. Variations on the basic design are found around the world, particularly in the choice of resonator. As a result, there are many different names for the instrument including the "gas-tank bass", "barrel bass", " box bass" (Trinidad), "bush bass" (Australia), "babatoni" (South Africa), "tanbou marengwen" (Haiti) " tingotalango" (Cuba), " tulòn" (Italy), "la ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pete Shotton
Peter Shotton (4 August 1941 – 24 March 2017) was an English businessman. He was known for creating the Fatty Arbuckle's chain of restaurants and for his long friendship with John Lennon of the Beatles; he played the washboard (musical instrument), washboard in the Beatles' precursor the Quarrymen and remained close to the band, holding various positions related to their business ventures over the years. Biography Shotton was born in Liverpool on 4 August 1941, the son of Bessie (née Wilson) and George Shotton. He was a close childhood friend of John Lennon, with whom he attended Dovedale Infants School and Quarry Bank Grammar School. The two were frequently in trouble with school faculty, often being caned by the headmaster as punishment for their misdeeds, and they came to be known at Quarry Bank as "Shennon and Lotton" or "Lotton and Shennon". In 1957, Shotton was Lennon's bandmate in the Quarrymen, playing the washboard (musical instrument), washboard until Paul McCart ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It shares Anglo-Scottish border, a land border with Scotland to the north and England–Wales border, another land border with Wales to the west, and is otherwise surrounded by the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south, the Celtic Sea to the south-west, and the Irish Sea to the west. Continental Europe lies to the south-east, and Ireland to the west. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the population was 56,490,048. London is both List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, the largest city and the Capital city, capital. The area now called England was first inhabited by modern humans during the Upper Paleolithic. It takes its name from the Angles (tribe), Angles, a Germanic peoples, Germanic tribe who settled du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eric Griffiths
Eric Ronald Griffiths (31 October 1940 – 29 January 2005) was a British musician and dry cleaner, he was best known as the rhythm guitarist in the original lineup of the Quarrymen until he left the group in the summer of 1958. Early life Born in Denbigh, North Wales, to Liverpudlian parents, Eric's mother returned to Liverpool in 1945 to live with her parents after her husband's death as an RAF pilot in World War II. In 1950, the family moved to Halewood Drive, Woolton and at the age of 11 Griffiths won a scholarship to Quarry Bank High School where he met John Lennon, Pete Shotton and Rod Davis. Biography and career The Quarrymen The four boys were in the same House at school and shared an interest in American music; particularly skiffle. Lennon and Griffiths attended some guitar lessons, but found it too slow to learn and dropped the lessons when Lennon's mother taught them to play easier banjo chords. The two boys would play truant to practice in the Griffiths home ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's Lennon–McCartney, songwriting partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history. Born in Liverpool, Lennon became involved in the Skiffle revival, skiffle craze as a teenager. In 1956, he formed the Quarrymen, which evolved into the Beatles in 1960. Lennon initially was the group's ''de facto'' leader, a role he gradually seemed to cede to McCartney, writing and co-writing songs with increasing innovation, including "Strawberry Fields Forever", which he later cited as his finest work with the band. Lennon soon expanded his work into other media by participating in numerous films, including ''How I Won the War'', and authoring ''In His Own Write'' and ''A Spaniard in the Works'', both collections of literary nonsense, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
