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Brian Locking | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Licorice Locking, Lic |
| Born | (1938-12-22)22 December 1938 Bedworth,Warwickshire, England |
| Origin | Grantham,Lincolnshire, England |
| Died | 8 October 2020(2020-10-08) (aged 81) North Wales |
| Genres | Rock and roll,rockabilly |
| Occupation(s) | Musician,songwriter |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1956–2020 |
| Formerly of |
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Brian "Licorice" Locking (22 December 1938 – 8 October 2020)[1] was an English musician and songwriter known for his tenure as bassist withThe Wildcats in 1959 andThe Shadows, between 1962 and 1963. During his time with the Shadows he appeared withCliff Richard in the musical filmSummer Holiday. Locking also toured as a session player with numerous artists including rock starsGene Vincent,Eddie Cochran andJoe Brown, as well asConway Twitty andBrenda Lee.[2][3]
Locking was born on 22 December 1938 inBedworth,Warwickshire, England and after moving to Grantham Lincolnshire attended St. Anne's School, Spittlegate, and then Huntingtower Road School. After leaving school he worked as a fireman and trainee train driver forBritish Railways. He began playingdouble bass in severalbands, and was a member ofThe Harmonica Vagabonds, subsequently calledThe Vagabonds Skiffle Group; he performed regularly atThe 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, where he was asked to tour withTerry Dene and with fellow Grantham-based rockerVince Eager, whom he had performed with in The Vagabonds.
He switched to bass guitar, later joining The Wildcats, a backing group for therock and roll singerMarty Wilde. A fellow Wildcat was the drummer and future member of The Shadows,Brian Bennett.
Locking also played several other instruments includingharmonica andclarinet (nicknamed the "licorice stick", which earned Locking the nickname "Licorice"). Vince Eager (previously Roy Taylor) came up with the nickname "Licorice" when introducing Locking on stage when he played in skiffle band The Vagabonds inIngoldmells in 1956.
When Marty Wilde parted company fromThe Wildcats, they changed their name to "theKrew Kats" andrecordedinstrumentals with modest success. Bennett then left to join the Shadows.
In April 1962, whilst having just started performing withAdam Faith, at Bennett's suggestion, Locking was himself invited to joinThe Shadows to replace the departing bassistJet Harris. Stylistically, Locking had a solid "less is more" approach, which was the obverse of Harris's adventurous hard-driving style. The Shadows' sound changed as a result. Locking played on some of their best known tracks, including "Dance On", "Foot Tapper" and "Atlantis". He also played the harmonica in live shows and on his signature album track, "Dakota". He appeared in the 1963Cliff Richard film,Summer Holiday.
After being in the Shadows for only eighteen months, Locking left to pursue his activities with theJehovah's Witnesses. He remained on the music scene at a more compatible pace and was invited to play double bass onDonovan's first recording session. He briefly played with the Shadows again five years later while his successorJohn Rostill was in hospital. In later life Locking was a regular guest playing at Shadows guitar clubs across the UK and abroad. He was also frequently invited to perform with various Shadows-style bands and was fundamental to honouring their legacy in such countries as France and Germany[1]
In 1998, he performed at thePipeline Instrumental Convention in London alongside other former members of The Shadows under the band name Local Heroes.[4]
He reprised his role in the Wildcats at Marty Wilde's 50th Anniversary Concert, where he also appeared on stage with all the surviving Shadows members.
Brian Locking suffered fromBell's palsy, and he was registered blind. He died in a hospice in North Wales on 8 October 2020 aged 81, after having been diagnosed with a tumour on the bladder.[1]
