Robert Hartley Elliott (born 8 December 1941) is an English rock drummer, best known for playing with

the Hollies The Hollies are an English rock and pop band formed in Manchester in 1962. One of the leading British groups of the 1960s and into the mid-1970s, they are known for their distinctive three-part vocal harmony style. Singer Allan Clarke and ...

. He has been described as "one of the very finest drummers in all of pop/rock".

Early life

Elliott discovered jazz music when he was around 10 or 11 and wanted to become a drummer. He attended

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

Grammar School. Elliott taught himself how to play the drums, by using home-made brushes and sticks, on tins and other household items, and copying the playing of

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader, f ...

of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...

of the Benny Goodman Orchestra. At first, he was a jazz drummer, but changed to rock and roll.

Career

Shane Fenton and the Fentones

Elliott was an original member of Johnny Theakston and the Tremeloes, who formed in 1959, and were fronted by the vocalist Johnny Theakston. In late 1960 they sent a demo tape to BBC Radio's Saturday Club, calling themselves Shane Fenton and the Fentones, but Theakston died before they received a reply. Having been offered an audition, the band's roadie Bernard Jewry (later known as Alvin Stardust), stepped in as vocalist, adopting the stage name “Shane Fenton” at Theakston's mother's request. In 1961, Tommy Sanderson became their manager, and negotiated a record deal with EMI who released "I'm a Moody Guy", which reached 22 on the UK singles chart. The next three singles failed to chart, and the band broke up in April 1963.

The Hollies

Elliott played in Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins, a band led by guitarist Tony Hicks who left to join

. Shortly after, Don Rathbone left the Hollies and Elliott replaced him. The Hollies would quickly garner a cult following after their songs Here I Go Again,

Look Through Any Window "Look Through Any Window" is a song by the British beat group the Hollies. It was their follow-up single to their first UK chart-topper, " I'm Alive", and reached No.4 in the UK Singles Chart at the beginning of October 1965. "Look Through A ...

, and Just One Look charted in the British charts. Future hits would include: "

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where Public transport bus service, buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelter (building), shelters ...

", "

On a Carousel "On a Carousel" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks. It was released by the Hollies as a single in February 1967, having been recorded the previous month, on the Parlophone label in the UK and Imperial in the US. Nash ...

", "

Carrie Anne "Carrie Anne" is a song written by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks and released by British pop rock group the Hollies. It was recorded on 1 May 1967 and was released as a single in the same month by Parlophone Records in the United ...

", "

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" is a Sentimental ballad, ballad written by Bobby Scott (musician), Bobby Scott and Bob Russell (songwriter), Bob Russell. Originally recorded by Kelly Gordon in 1969, the song became a worldwide hit for the Ho ...

" and " The Air That I Breathe", among others. As of 2024, Elliott and Hicks still tour with the Hollies. In September 1973, they were working on the opening track for their Hollies album, when

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

offered him the position of drummer in his band Wings, but Elliott declined due to commitments with the Hollies, saying his "heart was with the Hollies". The Hollies were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. Elliott and Hicks did not attend the ceremony as they were booked to play a gig with the band in London at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

Personal life

Prominent drummers who were influenced by Elliott include Gilson Lavis, Ric Lee,

Cozy Powell Cozy Powell (born Colin Trevor Flooks; 29 December 1947 – 5 April 1998) was an English drummer who made his name with major rock bands and artists such as The Jeff Beck Group, Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Gary Moore, Graham Bonnet, B ...

and

Ian Paice Ian Anderson Paice (born 29 June 1948) is an English musician who is the drummer and last remaining original member of the rock band Deep Purple. He remains the only member of Deep Purple who has served in every line-up since the band's incep ...

. Elliott’s hair began

thinning In agricultural sciences, thinning is the removal of some plants, or parts of plants, to make room for the growth of others. Selective removal of parts of a plant such as branches, buds, or roots is typically known as '' pruning''. In forestry ...

at a young age (around the time the Hollies took off). So on stage, he would wear a variety of hats to cover up his balding. This decision would eventually inspire more artists (balding or not) to wear hats on stage, helping to bring wearing hats into rock and roll. By the 1970s, Elliott had gone completely bald and eventually, Elliott, a blond, started wearing a long brunette wig on stage. This wig can be seen on the cover of their 1974 '' Hollies'' album.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Bobby 1941 births Living people English rock drummers Musicians from Burnley Musicians from Manchester The Hollies members