Yorkshire 1960's Pop Singers and Clubs - God's Own CountyGod's Own County

The 1960′s was a great era for popular music and Yorkshire had a thriving club scene. Famous names came to perform in Batley and Peter Stringfellow learnt his trade in Sheffield. The selected three Yorkshire born performers are still involved in the music business today.

Dave Berry

Sheffield sixties pop star Dave Berry is best remembered for his hit The Crying Game
Dave celebrated 50-years in the business during 2011.
Gene Vincent was one of Dave’s heros and he imitated Gene with his black clothes before learning to teasing the audience with his own act.
Born on 6 February 1941 as David Grundy he played with his band was The Cruisers
Little Things, Mama, Memphis Tennessee, and the dutch hit This Strange Effect were his best know songs

Joe Cocker

Born in Sheffield 20 May 1944, as Vance Arnold and the Avengers they played R&B around the Sheffield clubs before achieving international fame with Joe’s distinctive gravelly voice.
As well as 25 albums over a 40 year career Joe recorded and had success with “With a Little Help from My Friends”
• “Woman to Woman”
• “The Jealous Kind”
• “Black-Eyed Blues”
• “Cry Me a River
• “You Are So Beautiful”
• “Feelin’ Alright
• “Delta Lady”
Joe’s main musical influences were Ray Charles for the blues and Lonnie Donegan for the rock and skiffle.

Arthur Brown I am the god of hell fire and I bring you ….

Arthur Wilton from Whitby was the original singer with The Foundations before they built their own foundations on ‘Build me up buttercup’ and ‘Baby now that I’ve found you’
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown established Arthur Brown as the UK’s first Goth.
He still appears with The Crazy World fully electric lineup and the Hamburg Blues Band.
Born 24 June 1942 in Gothic Whitby and he was educated in Leeds

Kiki Dee

Bradford lass Kiki Dee was born Pauline Matthews, 6 March 1947 and she went and broke my heart. Don’t go doing it again.
The Fontana Years 1963-1968 was a compilation album prior to Kiki signing for Motown
Kiki was the first Brithish white singer to sign for the Motown record label ‘Love Makes The World Go Round: The Motown Years’
Kiki began as a backing vocalist for Dusty Springfield and shared Dusty’s manager, Vic Billings.

The Early Clubbers

Jimmy Corrigan impressario and founder of the Batley Variety Club
Peter Stringfellow who ran Sheffield clubs, Black Cat, Mojo, King Mojo and the Esquire club
Jimmy Saville managed the Mecca Locarno in Leeds. At Radio Luxembourg he was a disk jockey and an early TV DJ. Born Leeds 31 October 1926 died 29 October 2011

Read about 1950’s Yorkshire Pop Musicians