Jackie Lynton tickets and 2024 tour dates

Biography

www.jackielynton.com

Born John Bertram Lynton in Shepperton, Middlesex on February 27th 1940 Jackie Lynton got bitten by the Rock & Roll bug early on – his first idol was Elvis. Backed initially by the Plect-Tones - including guitarist Roger Brown (who later turned up in Mike Berry’s Innocents, and would go on to be the founder member of Stealer’s Wheel in the 70’s) and future keyboards wizard Mike Pinder; the band soon changed name to the Teenbeats. Jackie established a residency at the famous Two I’s Coffee Bar in Soho (and Two I’s proprietor Tom Littlewood took over as his first professional manager). On the Larry Parnes one nighters / package tour circuit, he worked alongside early rockers like Billy Fury, Vince Taylor & the playboys, Wee Willie Harris, Terry Dene, Lance Fortune, Screaming Lord Sutch & his Savages, Nero & the Gladiators, John Leyton, Freddie Star & the Midnighters etc. etc. Radio sessions on Saturday club and Music with a Beat followed and signing to Pye’s new Piccadilly label. His first disc – a Tony Hatch produced revival of Over The Rainbow. Hailed by New Musical Express as a “Most Promising Newcomer”, Jackie was given an original song to tackle for his second single: Les Read & Johnny Worth (aka Les Vandyke)’s “Wishful Thinking”.

“All Of Me” his next release, issued in August 1962, was a landmark disc in that it marked the recording debut of Albert Lee, one of the UK’s most talented and enduring blues guitarists; Albert continued to work with Jack until 1965. The single was well reviewed, and went to gather considerable radio air play that summer and autumn. The next single was an up tempo revival of “I Believe”. This was in turn followed by Teddy Bears Picnic - a record still occasionally played today on BBCs Sounds of the Sixties. Then a couple of R & B standards, Chuck Berry’s “I’m Talkin’ ‘Bout You” and Lloyd Price’s “Lawdy Miss Clawdy”.

His unlikely, soulful reading of Lennon/McCartney opus Little Child came next,

featuring a fine solo from Jimmy Page. The BBC brought it out for an airing as recently as May 2009 on Sounds of the Sixties.

Jackie had been one of the early British Rock & Rollers to visit Hamburg, back in ’62. He also recorded in Hamburg. Jackie in fact cut 16 tracks in Hamburg in ’64, backed by a session band including Rikki Barnes (sax), Roy Mills (drums) and Emmerdale Farm actor Fraser Hines’ brother on keyboards. These sides did all eventually turn up on Beat Group compilations, credited to the unlikely pseudonym “Boots Wellington & His Rubber Band”. They include a rousing version of Ray Charles’ “What’d I say”, from an LP colourfully entitled 16 Beat Groups from the Hamburg Scene, (NB: Jacko’s running mates on this LP included the Beatles, Kingsize Taylor & the dominoes, Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers, and Alex Harvey.)