Bruce Welch

Bruce Welch

Welch performing in September 2007
Background information
Birth name Bruce Cripps
Born (1941-11-02) 2 November 1941
Bognor Regis, England
Origin Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Genres Instrumental rock
Occupation(s) Musician, producer and owner of a music publishing company
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1958–present
Associated acts Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Hank Marvin, Olivia Newton-John, Marvin, Welch & Farrar
Website www.brucewelchtribute.com

Bruce Cripps OBE (born 2 November 1941, Bognor Regis, Sussex, England) known by his stage name Bruce Welch is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.[1]

Biography

His parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) relocated him to 15 Broadwood View, Chester-le-Street: she died when Welch was aged 6. Welch grew up with his Aunt Sadie in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. After learning to play the guitar, he formed a Tyneside skiffle band called The Railroaders when he was fourteen.[2] His Rutherford Grammar School friend Brian Rankin (later to be known as Hank Marvin), joined the group and they travelled to London in 1958 for the final of a talent competition. Although they did not win, they joined with members of other entrant bands and formed The Five Chesternuts with Pete Chester (born 1942), son of comedian Charlie Chester on drums.

On moving to London Bruce and Hank Marvin briefly operated as the Geordie Boys before enlisting in an outfit called The Drifters.[2]

In September 1958 Welch and Marvin joined The Drifters, later to become The Shadows,[2] as Cliff Richard's backing band. As well as success with The Shadows, Welch also acted as producer for (among others) Cliff Richard[2] and songwriter for his ex-fiancée, Olivia Newton-John. He also released a solo single "Please Mr. Please", which was not commercially successful, even though the song has been covered by several recording artists (most notably Newton-John, who would take it into the top 10 of the US pop and country charts in 1975).

Welch wrote several number 1 hit singles for Cliff and for The Shadows. Among tunes/songs written or co-written by Welch are the Shadows' hits "Foot Tapper" and "The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt", Marvin Welch & Farrar's "Faithful" and "My Home Town", and Cliff Richard hits "Please Don't Tease", "In the Country", "Summer Holiday",[3] "I Love You" and "I Could Easily Fall (in Love with You)".

He was the musical consultant for the West End musical Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story.

In 1998 he formed Bruce Welch's Shadows which featured former Shadows Alan Jones and Cliff Hall with Bob Watkins on drums and Phil Kelly on Lead Guitar.

At Shadowmania 2011 he included a Tribute To Jet Harris which featured himself alongside The Rapiers, Phil Kelly, Alan Jones, Cliff Hall and Daniel Martin.

At Shadowmania 2012 Phil Kelly could not appear because of illness, and so was replaced by Daniel Martin

Honours

He was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Birthday Honours list for services to music.

Welch lives in Richmond, London.[4]

Early career groups (pre-Shadows/Drifters)

1956/7 – The Railroaders(#1)
1956/7 – The Railroaders(#2)
1958 – The Five Chesternuts

Groups

Discography

Guest vocals

Production credits

Bibliography

Books

References

  1. Allmusic for Bruce Welch
  2. 1 2 3 4 "The Religious Affiliation of Guitarist Hank Marvin". 24 July 2005. Retrieved 2008-01-13. When his Crescent City Skiffle Group won a South Shields Jazz Club talent contest, he was asked to join Bruce Welch's Railroaders. On moving to London, Marvin and Welch operated briefly as the Geordie Boys before enlisting in an outfit called the Drifters, which evolved into the Shadows. While backing and, later, composing songs (such as The Day I Met Marie) for Cliff Richard, the quartet recorded independently and became generally acknowledged as Britain's top instrumental act.
  3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/636450.stm
  4. Graham Boynton (25 September 2009). "The Shadows re-enter the hip parade". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 20 October 2012.

External links

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