Bruce Welch
| Bruce Welch | |
|---|---|
Welch performing in September 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bruce Cripps |
| Born |
2 November 1941 Bognor Regis, England |
| Origin | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Genres | Instrumental rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer and owner of a music publishing company |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Associated acts | Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Hank Marvin, Olivia Newton-John, Marvin, Welch & Farrar |
| Website | www |
Bruce Cripps OBE (born 2 November 1941, Bognor Regis, Sussex, England) known by his stage name Bruce Welch is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.
His parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) relocated him to 15 Broadwood View, Chester-le-Street: she died when Welch was aged 6. Welch grew up with his Aunt Sadie in Chester-le-Street, County Durham. After learning to play the guitar, he formed a Tyneside skiffle band called The Railroaders when he was fourteen. His Rutherford Grammar School friend Brian Rankin (later to be known as Hank Marvin), joined the group and they travelled to London in 1958 for the final of a talent competition. Although they did not win, they joined with members of other entrant bands and formed The Five Chesternuts with Pete Chester (born 1942), son of comedian Charlie Chester on drums.
On moving to London Bruce and Hank Marvin briefly operated as the Geordie Boys before enlisting in an outfit called The Drifters.
In September 1958 Welch and Marvin joined The Drifters, later to become The Shadows, as Cliff Richard's backing band. As well as success with The Shadows, Welch also acted as producer for (among others) Cliff Richard and songwriter for his ex-fiancée, Olivia Newton-John. He also released a solo single "Please Mr. Please", which was not commercially successful, even though the song has been covered by several recording artists (most notably Newton-John, who would take it into the top 10 of the US pop and country charts in 1975).
Welch wrote several number 1 hit singles for Cliff and for The Shadows. Among tunes/songs written or co-written by Welch are the Shadows' hits "Foot Tapper" and "The Rise and Fall of Flingle Bunt", Marvin Welch & Farrar's "Faithful" and "My Home Town", and Cliff Richard hits "Please Don't Tease", "In the Country", "Summer Holiday", "I Love You" and "I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You)".
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