The Scotsman

Chas Hodges

Musician who hit the charts as part of singing duo Chas and Dave

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Charles Nicholas Hodges, musician. Born: 28 December 1943, in Edmonton, London. Died: 22 September 2018, aged 74.

Musician Chas Hodges was best known as one half of the cockney rock duo Chas and Dave.

Hodges and Dave Peacock rose to fame in the English pop-rock band, known for their witty lyrics about living in London, in the 1970s. They had a string of hits, including Rabbit, Snooker Loopy and Ain’t No Pleasing You.

Charles Nicholas “Chas” Hodges was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, in December 1943.He was a singer, pianist and also played the guitar, bass and banjo.

Before founding Chas and Dave with Peacock and drummer Mick Burt, Hodges worked as a session musician and played for a wide range of artists. The band’s debut

0 Chas Hodges in 2011 and, below, with Dave Peacock, left, in 1975

album One Fing ‘n’ Anuvver was released in 1975 to critical acclaim.

They featured on adverts for Couragebee­randheinzb­aked Beans and also collaborat­ed with Tottenham Hotspur on their FA cup final songs.

Hodges published a book called Chas & Dave: All About Us in 2008. Peacock retired

from the group in 2009 after his wife Sue died from lung cancer, but the band reunited two years later and continued to tour.

They appeared at the Royal Variety Performanc­e for the first time in 2013 and a sell-out headline show at the Royal Albert Hall the following year.

On 6 February 2017, it was announced that Hodges had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and he started immediate treatment. The band was forced to cancel a number of tour dates in August this year due to his illness.

Hodges said in a statement at the time: “In my life as a musician/entertaine­r I would say the most depressing thing to have to do is to have to cancel a gig or gigs.

“Fortunatel­y, throughout my career of thousands of gigs with Dave or in other bands, these times have been very few and far between, and only extreme illness in the past (and I mean extreme) illness has prompted me/us to have to make this decision.

“So it is because of extreme illness on my part that the forthcomin­g gigs are going to have to be cancelled.”

He died on September 22 2018, aged 74, from organ failure.

He is survived by his wife, Joan, a model he wed in 1966, children Juliet, Kate and Nicholas, and two grandchild­ren.

RACHAEL BURNETT The Scotsman welcomes obituaries and appreciati­ons from contributo­rs as well as suggestion­s of possible obituary subjects.

Please contact: Gazette Editor

The Scotsman, Level 7, Orchard Brae House, 30 Queensferr­y Road, Edinburgh EH4 2HS;

gazette@scotsman.com

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