THEY ALSO SERVED

REGGAE SINGER PEETAH MORGAN (below, b.1977) formed family group

Morgan Heritage – their dad was solo artist and Black Eagles member Denroy Morgan – in Massachusetts. They released their debut LP Miracles in 1994, and, after a move to Jamaica, explored Rasta themes on later

LPs, with Strictly

Roots winning a Grammy in 2016. The group’s last album was The Homeland in 2023.

BASSIST BRIAN TURRINGTON (b.1950) was playing in pub rockers The Winkies when they were recruited by Brian Eno to be his backing group for a Peel session and his truncated Here Come The Warm Jets tour in 1974. Turrington continued to record with Eno, appearing on Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World and Before And After Science, and also played with John Cale, Robert Calvert, Phil Manzanera, The Tyla Gang and The Count Bishops. ENGINEER CORKY STASIAK (b.1948) worked at New York’s Record Plant, and lent his expertise to albums including Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, Frampton Comes Alive!, The Clash’s Give ’Em Enough Rope,

Aerosmith’s Toys In The Attic, Lou Reed’s Legendary Hearts,

Alice Cooper’s Welcome To My Nightmare and Kiss’s

Destroyer. He also worked with Jim Croce, John Lennon, the Raspberries and others. DRUMMER JIMMY VAN EATON (b.1937) was recording his group The Echoes at Sun studios in Memphis when engineer Cowboy Jack Clement heard his rock’n’roll beat. Clement recommended him to Billy Lee Riley, and in 1956 Van Eaton became Sun’s in-house drummer, playing on Jerry Lee Lewis’s Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On and Riley’s Red Hot, as well as with Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Charlie Feathers and more. He later led a gospel ensemble, but returned to rock’n’roll, advising on 1989 Jerry Lee biopic Great Balls Of Fire, in which Mojo Nixon played the drummer on-screen. He also played with fellow Sun old boys, and released his 1998 solo LP The Beat Goes On. DRUMMER MICHAEL SALMON (b. 1961) was a founder member of Durham’s

Prefab

Sprout in the mid ’70s. In 1983 he appeared on their debut single Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone), while unofficial recordings find him playing on early versions of such later Sprout classics as Faron Young and Bonny. He later played his own songs with Swimmer Leon. He was among Sprout mainman Paddy McAloon’s dedicatees on 2009’s Let’s Change The World With Music album. COMPOSER STEVE BROWN (b.1958) produced Top 10 albums for Rumer and Laura Mvula in the 2010s, and will also be remembered for more comedic endeavours. His credits include music for satirical ’80s puppet show Spitting Image, BBC impersonator showcase Dead Ringers and Harry Hill’s TV programmes; his other claim to immortality was playing Glen Ponder, bandleader to Steve Coogan creation Alan Partridge. He wrote for stage musicals and children’s TV. BANDLEADER RANDY SPARKS (below, b.1933) founded shiftingmembership folk group The New Christy Minstrels in 1961. Scoring US Top 20 hits including Green, Green (1963) and Today (1964), their 1962 debut Presenting The New Christy Minstrels won a Grammy. Sparks sold his interest in the group in 1964, but regained control in the

’90s. He also worked with Burl Ives and ran the ‘farm’ group Back Porch Majority: those who passed through his groups included Kenny Rogers, Gene Clark and John Denver.

LOUISIANA singer, songwriter and accordion player JO-EL SONNIER (b.1946) found success on the ’80s country charts with songs including No More One More Time. He was also a sought-after session musician, playing harmonica on recordings by Johnny Cash and Hank Williams Jr, accordion on Elvis Costello’s 1986 song American Without Tears, and Dolly Parton’s charttopping 1989 single, Why’d You Come Here Lookin’ Like That. In 2015, his music was recognised with a Grammy. LYRICIST TONI STERN (right, b.1944) met

Carole King after King’s split with husband and collaborator Gerry Goffin. The two began to write together, their most celebrated works being US Number 1 and break-up song par excellence It’s Too Late, and Where You Lead – later theme for US TV show Gilmore Girls. Both appeared on King’s huge-selling 1971 classic Tapestry. Stern’s songs were also recorded by The Monkees, Carpenters,

Kenny Rogers, Johnny Mathis and Barbra Streisand. She later turned her attentions to poetry. DRUMMER FRANK DEVITO (b.1930) initially played jazz in New York, and spent three years with Sinatra in the late ’50s. The following decade he moved into session work with The Wrecking Crew, playing with Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Dick Dale, Sonny & Cher, the Baja Marimba Band and The Beach Boys (he recalled being paid $57 for Surfin’ USA). He also played bongos for his studio client Elvis on the ’68 Comeback TV special. SINGER and music executive DAVID LIBERT (b.1943) had Top 5 US hits in ’66 and ’67 with See You In September and I Got Rhythm,

with sunshine popsters

The Happenings.

In the early-tomid ’70s he was tour manager for Alice Cooper (he’s credited for backing vocals on 1973’s Billion Dollar Babies) and later moved into management, handling the affairs of George Clinton and groups, Sheila E, Living Colour and many more. He also did jail time for Sunset Strip drug dealing, and later worked for animal welfare. Chris Catchpole and Ian Harrison