Died On This Date (April 20, 2012) Bert Weedon / Influential English Electric Guitarist
themusicsover Bert Weedon
May 10, 1920 – April 20, 2012
Bert Weedon was a popular British guitarist during the 1950s and 1960s. Although he leaned more easy listening that rock, he was a direct influence on the likes of Brian May, Keith Richards, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Pete Townshend – many of whom learned to play from his Play In A Day tutorials. Weedon was just 12 when he decided he wanted to be a professional musician, and by his late teens, he was already fronting his own band and sharing the stage with Stephane Grappelli and George Shearing. During the ’50s, he played in the BBC Show Band, played on several early British rock and roll records as a session man, and accompanied American stars when they played in London and beyond. In that capacity, Weedon performed with Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Judy Garland, to name a few. Bert Weedon was 91 when he passed away on April 20, 2012.
What You Should Own
Lonnie Donegan was one of the most popular performers of the ’50s and early ’60s skiffle scene of the UK. Skiffle was a raved up version of traditional folk, blues, jazz and country influences from the US. British Invasion bands like the Beatles rose out of the skiffle scene and claim Donegan as a direct influence. Donegan began playing guitar at the age of 14, and in 1952, he formed his first band, the Tony Donegan Jazz Band. He switched to “Lonnie” a few years later and began playing in bands that were evolving into skiffle music by adding such instruments as banjo and washboard. His first recording was a 1956 rave up of 