Who Do you Know That Has Made It?

[blue]

It's always interesting to hear stories about our friends that have made it in this business, when, how they did it and what level and sector of the business they "made it" in.

Any stories?

Blue

* yeah, I'm in the pic, hidden, but I'm sitting down with my bass in front of what looks like an Ampeg SVT. I was 17. I think the pic is from 1969.lol

Edited July 27, 2014 by blue

[bartelby]

This is a friend:
http://www.laney.co.uk/artists/daniel_pugsley

He's made it to quite near the top in the genre

Edited July 27, 2014 by bartelby

[blue]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1406480475' post='2511803']
This is a friend:
[url="http://www.laney.co.uk/artists/daniel_pugsley"]http://www.laney.co..../daniel_pugsley[/url]

He's made it to quite near the top in the genre
[/quote]

Love the production, but, how did he get there and how long did it take. What were his risks and sacrifices?

blue

[MarkG3]

Apparently a guy I briefly knew is the bassist for One Direction

[TheGreek]

I was at school at the same time/town as Tracey Thorn - even when she was in The Marine Girls it was pretty obvious that her voice was going to take her somewhere..

Classics Nouveau are locals who had some success in the 80s - shame that they were right up themselves though..

[flyfisher]

I was at school with William Orbit. We did A-level zoology together but he dropped out in favour of music and set up a succession of studios in various squats before making it pretty big with his own albums. He's now a sought after producer and has worked with the likes of Madonna, bringing him three Grammy awards. His career is well documented online.

More contemporary, our singer's lad is only just 21 but is making his mark . . .
[url="http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/george-ezra-the-man-with-the-song-of-the-summer-9628004.html"]http://www.standard....er-9628004.html[/url]

Edited July 27, 2014 by flyfisher

[Oopsdabassist]

Our guitarists son, set himself up as a session drummer for hire via t'interweb and has got commissions from all over the World, and he has been touring with a band called the Chip Shop Boys who has Scott Mills from radio 1 opening for them last week.

https://www.facebook.com/ChipShopBoys/photos/a.10151893143459528.1073741826.6232534527/10152603796859528/?type=1&theater

https://soundcloud.com/steve-lees/time.

[Subbeh]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1406480475' post='2511803']
This is a friend:
[url="http://www.laney.co.uk/artists/daniel_pugsley"]http://www.laney.co..../daniel_pugsley[/url]

He's made it to quite near the top in the genre
[/quote]

Seen them a few times and always liked his playing, fantastic front man in Benji as well. Really a great live band.

[Prime_BASS]

Quiet pally with a guy who was Bessie mates with Jake Bugg

[machinehead]

Used to play with Jonny Quinn, drummer with Snow Patrol.

Mind you, I was a fair bit older than him.

Frank.

[bartelby]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1406481621' post='2511816']


Love the production, but, how did he get there and how long did it take. What were his risks and sacrifices?

blue
[/quote]


Probably taken about 15 years to get where they are now. In the beginning he couldn't pay rent and once they started touring the world he didn't get to see his mates all the time.
I know which life style I'd go for given the chance at his age.

As a side note, the Warwick in my avatar was his. He used it to pay rent to another mate. I then bought it off him.

[quote name='Subbeh' timestamp='1406487501' post='2511883']


Seen them a few times and always liked his playing, fantastic front man in Benji as well. Really a great live band.
[/quote]

I haven't seen them since they first formed, when Ginge was still drumming for them.
Benji is definitely one of a kind.

Edited July 27, 2014 by bartelby

[Dad3353]

'Made it'..? A very fickle industry; famous for a while and then...

Anyone remember Phil Ryan and the Crescents..? A popular North of England 'beat' group in the '60s, playing venues alongside the Beatles, Shadows et al. Phil (Rylance...) attended our Hofner meetings in France a couple of years ago. Great bloke, that we're encouraging to complete his book of memoires; his anecdotes of 'back in the day' are astonishing. Here's a couple of snaps taken on those occasions...

... with his Hofner 190 bass...
[attachment=167746:P1040025.jpg]

... and here leading us in song with his Hofner Verithin bass (I'm on drums...) ...
[attachment=167745:P1000334.jpg]

Their 'hit'...

[media]http://youtu.be/BMBerIFxEfI[/media]

... The group then...

[attachment=167749:Phil_Ryan_Cres.jpg]

Happy days..!

Edited July 27, 2014 by Dad3353

[2004gdavi]

Twenty five years ago or so I was in a couple of bands. The one I took over bass duties from Dave Swift and the other when I left I was replaced by Paul Turner. Both guys were on my dep list for a number of years and I used to call on them when I was double booked. If they 're reading now how about returning the favour.

I also knew some great drummers who went on to bigger and better things. One being Pete Cater who is in this month's Rhythm magazine.

[Lozz196]

Didn`t know him that well, but Gem from Oasis was in a band whose path I crossed many a time with my old band. Their drummer also played a few gigs for us when ours couldn`t make it.

[FinnDave]

Our singer was pretty big in the 70s with Babe Ruth.

[Mykesbass]

My mate from school who I used to play in bands with has had a long illustrious career as a drummer - started off in Dennis Greaves' band The Truth, then worked with Nik Kershaw and a whole host of others before touring extensively with Pink Floyd. He is now Tom Jones' musical director - hopefully going to catch up with him on Wednesday at Sandown Park.

[flyfisher]

[quote name='flyfisher' timestamp='1406486149' post='2511866']
More contemporary, our singer's lad is only just 21 but is making his mark . . .
[url="http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/george-ezra-the-man-with-the-song-of-the-summer-9628004.html"]http://www.standard....er-9628004.html[/url]
[/quote]

Just watched the Hungarian GP race on iPlayer and heard Ezra's 'Budapest' being played over the outro sequence. Obvious choice, I suppose, but shows the value of having a big record company turning a few handles for you.

[Cat Burrito]

A friend who produced our demos circa 1999 went on to play with Paul Weller (Andy Lewis) and my current guitar player is also the guitarist for ex-Mott / Bad Company 6 stringer Mick Ralphs. I don't know that makes either a household name but they are making a living out of music which is cool enough in my books.

[2004gdavi]

There's a guy in one of the band's I play in now who is ageing in years but in his early career he was in a band that was looking for a drummer. Being of the scouse persuassion they auditioned Richard Starkey as he then was. After three numbers it appeared his 'chops' weren't up to it and he didn't get the job. Fortunately he found some work later on with Thomas and friends.

[Sean]

A rock drummer who sadly is no longer with us. Fabulous guy, very encouraging and down to earth who sang with my band at a number of gigs and also went to see the Chilis with us.

[jazzyvee]

Ranking Roger from the beat lived a few streets away from me and we used to hang out when we were teenagers.
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranking_Roger"]http://en.wikipedia....i/Ranking_Roger[/url]

Stephen Tin Tin Duffy was in my year at comprehensive school when knew each other but were not mates as such.
[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Duffy"]http://en.wikipedia....i/Stephen_Duffy[/url]

Bassist Roger Inniss & I became friends sometime in the late 70's when his best mate was drummer in my band. We are still friends today but these days I only tend to bump into him at gigs. He always was a superb bass player and back then he was playing all that weather report and jaco stuff.
http://www.rogerinniss.com

Edited July 27, 2014 by jazzyvee

[AntLockyer]

According to Wikipedia my cousin is

"[color=#252525][font=sans-serif]a [/font][/color][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songwriter"]songwriter[/url][color=#252525][font=sans-serif], [/font][/color][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producer_(music)"]producer[/url][color=#252525][font=sans-serif], artist developer, and [/font][/color][url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_educator"]music educator[/url][color=#252525][font=sans-serif] whose songs include Top 10 hit singles and #1 albums, which have sold more than 5 million, in the U.S., UK, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and Asia."[/font][/color]

[wateroftyne]

Pal of mine playing fiddle in my band a few years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL81A7f2MWo

...and what he's up to these days:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzMLmS9cNxg

It couldn't have happened to a nicer lad.

[molan]

My old flat mate had a couple of top 20 singles in his own right but gave up playing and became manager (or co manager) of Wham, Lisa Stansfeild, Yazz, De La Soul, Snow Patrol, The Verve, Richard Ashcroft, La Roux, Soup Dragons, Badly Drawn Boy, Klaxons, London Grammar, Boy George and lots of others.

Got some writer and producer credits on some #1 singles and albums as well. Even managed some sort of co-producer credit on the Bodyguard soundtrack which sold zillions!

Actually another flat mate was Billy Idol but Generation X were already making money so I guess he was already famous rather than making it after I knew him (although he must have been bigger solo than in Gen X).

Around the same time I used to go clubbing with George O'Dowd - when he dropped the 'O'Dowd' and added a 'Boy' he did rather well for himself

Edited July 27, 2014 by molan

[YouMa]

a lad who i do youth work withs father is john maclaughlins cousin,didnt believe him at first but saw photos when they were kids,was pretty impressed.