Brian Bennett
b. 9 February 1940, London, England. For 30 years Bennett has occupied the drum stool of the Shadows. A war baby, Bennett was evacuated briefly to Nottinghamshire but grew up around north London. Inspired by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Bennett got a drum kit, joined the school orchestra, a youth club band, and the Esquires dance band while still in his early teens. He joined his first skiffle group in 1956 and played with various bands of that genre for the next two years, spending a lot of time at the 2 I's coffee bar in Soho. Through contacts at this rock ‘n’ roll mecca Bennett was offered the job backing rocker Vince Taylor on his debut single and appearance on the UK television pop music programme OH BOY. Then when Taylor's guitarist Tony Sheridan formed his own trio he recruited bassist Brian Liquorice Locking and Bennett. Sheridan then left England for Hamburg and Bennett was invited to join Marty Wilde's Wildcats with whom he recorded, toured and drove the van. When Wilde was occupied with films and musicals the Wildcats recorded as the Krew Kats. Bennett also did some session work for Joe Meek and was playing in Tommy Steele's backing band during a season at Great Yarmouth when he was asked to replace Tony Meehan in the Shadows in October 1961. In 1967 he released a solo single—Canvas—and on the break up of the Shadows the following year, he took up his solo career in earnest. Bennett toured with Tom Jones, acted as musical director for Cliff Richard and formed the Brian Bennett Orchestra to back him. He was the uncredited drummer on the Marvin, Welch And Farrar albums. He also spent a spell as drummer with Georgie Fame's Blue Flames. Bennett's other solo material included a 1970 single—Riding On The Gravy Train—as Thunder Company, and a 1974 single—Melissa—as Wasp. 1974 was also the year that the Shadows officially reformed. Though Bennett resumed his old job, his solo career continued. He was responsible for launching actor Dennis Waterman's musical career by writing and producing DOWNWIND OF ANGELS. Bennett complements his ongoing career with the Shadows by writing and recording library music which is hired out by film and television makers to use as incidental soundtrack music. In the '80s Bennett wrote the theme tune to the UK television series RUTH RENDELL MYSTERIES which won him an Ivor Novello in 1989. In 1991 he announced his intention to leave the Shadows and concentrate on film scores.