THEY ALSO SERVED

M.D., trumpeter and trombonist JOHN ROSSALL (below, b.c.1946) spent the ’60s in the Mike Leander Showband and the Boston Show Band, who later changed their name to The Glitter Band and became the backing group for disgraced sex offender singer Paul Gadd in 1973. The same year they began releasing their own material, with Rossall co-write Angel Face hitting Number 4 in April 1974. He went solo in 1975, and was later threatened with legal sanctions over the disputed Glitter Band name. In 2020, with help from The Nightingales and others, Rossall released his farewell album The Last Glam In Town.

JAMAICA-BORN singer/ guitarist/songwriter DELBERT ‘NGONI’ McKAY (b.c.1954) was a founder member of Southall reggae institutions Misty In Roots, Rock Against Racism stalwarts who popularised UK reggae with albums including Live At The Counter-Eurovision ’79. The group, running their own People Unite label and self-help organisation, had an active ’80s, releasing four albums and playing behind the Iron Curtain and in Africa. McKay also appeared on record with The Ruts, wrote John Peel favourite Own Them Control Them, and was a devout Rastafarian.

GUITARIST DARRELL BATH (b.c.1967) collaborated with Ian Hunter from 1994 to 2000, appearing on Dirty Laundry and The Artful Dodger. He also worked with

UK Subs, Dogs D’Amour, The Vibrators, The Crybabys, The Godfathers, Splodgenessabounds, Medicine Head, Nikki Sudden, The Dave Kusworth Group, and Die Toten Hosen. He also recorded solo LPs including 2002’s Love And Hurt. “If the Stones had ever lost Keef,” said Hunter in tribute, “Darrell would have fitted like a glove.”

SINGER JIM PEMBROKE (right, b.1946) moved from London to Finland in 1965 in pursuit of romance. He joined Helsinki rockers Blues Section in

1967. The following year they evolved into progressive outfit Wigwam, who debuted with Hard N’ Horny in 1969. After moving in a more commercial direction with 1975’s Finnish Number 1 Nuclear Nightclub – the year they headlined a free concert in Hyde Park – the group went on hiatus in 1978. Pembroke led his own band and co-composed Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest entries in 1981 and 1982, then rejoined the reformed Wigwam, most recently for a 50th anniversary tour.

ARRANGER and composer RALPH CARMICHAEL (b.1927) worked mainly in the Christian music genre, where he would be denounced as a heretic for introducing jazz and rock influences to hymnals. From the late ’50s he would write for such TV shows as I Love Lucy and Bonanza, and for movies including The Blob and The Cross And The Switchblade. From 1960 he worked with

Nat ‘King’ Cole, producing his celebrated LP The Magic Of Christmas. He also worked with Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Andraé Crouch and more, while his song Reach Out To Jesus was recorded by Elvis in 1972.

CATALOGUE WIZARD BOB FISHER (b.1946) wrote for Let It Rock, Cream and NME before becoming Motown press officer in London in 1975, rising to Fantasy/Stax label manager. In 1987 he moved to Charly, using his expert catalogue knowledge to compile many fine LPs. Setting up the Sequel label at Castle in

1989, he also established the Westside, Blueside and Acrobat imprints. Working more recently for

Cherry Red, Fisher died of a heart attack on October 7.

VIOLA player KENNETH ESSEX (b.1920) served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, later playing with numerous prestigious symphony orchestras in the capital. In 1965 he was part of the string quartet which played on The Beatles’ Yesterday. He also played at various Royal Variety Performances and Eurovision Song Contests, including Abba’s victorious year in 1974, while his other credits include the theme to Fawlty Towers. During 2020’s pandemic, as he turned 100, he staged charitable sponsored walks.

NICKNAMED ‘THE VOICE’, JAY BLACK (below, b.1938) was the second ‘Jay’ in Queens hitmakers Jay & The Americans, replacing John Traynor in 1962. The group would have hits until 1970, with Black singing on US Top 10s Come A Little Bit Closer, Cara Mia and This Magic Moment. After 1973’s split, he continued using the band name, but was forced to sell it in 2006 after accruing enormous gambling debts, whereupon his ex-bandmates recruited a third ‘Jay’. Black played his last solo show in 2017.

FRONTMAN GREG GILBERT (b.1977) formed indie rockers Delays with his brother Aaron in Southampton. His falsetto voice was heard on 2004’s Top 20 LP Faded Seaside Glamour, while songs from 2006’s You See Colours accompanied Match Of The Day highlights. Diagnosed with cancer in 2016, he documented his illness in poetry and art, with his photorealist biro drawings presented at a Da Vinci exhibition at Southampton City Art Gallery in 2019.

Clive Prior, Geoff Brown

and Ian Harrison