Chas Hodges

December 28, 1943 – September 22, 2018

Chas Hodges was best known as the singer/pianist partnering Dave Peacock in the enduring pop rock band Chas & Dave, but his career kicked off during the 1960s when he worked alongside producer Joe Meek as part of his house band, and also backed Jerry Lee Lewis and Gene Vincent.

Born in Middlesex and raised in North London, Hodges also played in The Outlaws with Ritchie Blackmore and joined Albert Lee’s country rock band Heads Hands

& Feet before a short stint with The Rockers, who also featured The Move’s Roy Wood, Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott and Status Quo drummer John Coghlan.

Chas & Dave, who formed in 1975, performed a style of music they called ‘Rockney’, mixing pop, rock’n’roll, music hall and pub singalongs. Their run of hits included Gertcha, The Sideboard Song,

Rabbit, Ain’t No Pleasin’ You, Margate and Snooker Loopy.

The pair displayed a wonderful, modest sense of humour that melted the nation’s heart. In 2014, talking before their set at the Sonisphere Festival, Hodges spoke of working with Blackmore in The Outlaws, revealing: “Ritchie later admitted that his decision to join us was swayed because we received royalty cheques of a hundred quid each on the day that he auditioned.”

Chas & Dave became reliable mainstays of the summer festival scene, from punk all-dayers to hard rock and metal events. They supported Led Zeppelin at Knebworth in 1979.

Hodges was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in February, but was determined to perform again after that setback, and most recently Chas & Dave supported Eric Clapton in Hyde Park in July.

Hodges was 74 at the time of his death, having suffered organ failure. He passed away in his sleep. DL