Georgie Fame

Born on 26th June 1943 in the industrial town of Leigh, Lancashire, his interest in music grew from family entertainment “sessions” at home and musical evenings in the church hall across the street, where his father played in an amateur dance band. Although he took piano lessons for a short time at the age of seven, it wasn’t until the advent of rock’n’roll on radio during the mid-fifties that young Georgie began to take the family piano seriously. Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard were among his catalysts. Upon leaving school, shortly after his fifteenth birthday, he followed the family tradition and took a job as an apprentice cotton weaver in one of the many local mills. Leisure time, however, was spent playing piano in various pubs and with a local group, “The Dominoes”.

In July 1959, at a summer holiday camp, Georgie was spotted by Rory Blackwell, the resident rock’n’roll bandleader, who offered the young singer/pianist a full time job. Goodbye, weaving shed. Rory and the Blackjacks departed for London, their hometown, when the summer season ended prematurely and Georgie went with them. The promised glamorous work did not materialise and the band broke up, but the determined young man from Leigh eventually took up a solo residency at The Essex Arms pub in London’s Dockland, where the kindly landlord provided a room to sleep in.

In October of that year, the Marty Wilde Show was performing at the Lewisham Gaumont and Rory Blackwell arranged for Georgie to audition “live” for impressario Larry Parnes. After walking on stage, without any rehearsal, he sang Jerry Lee Lewis’ “High School Confidential” and was promptly hired as a backing pianist to the Parnes “stable” of singers. Before his seventeenth birthday, Georgie had toured Britain extensively, playing alongside Marty Wilde, Billy Fury, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Tony Sheridan, Freddie Canon, Jerry Keller, Dickie Pride, Joe Brown and many more. During this time, Billy Fury selected four musicians, including Fame, for his personal backing group and “The Blue Flames” were born. At the end of 1961 after a disagreement, the band and Fury parted company.

Another gloomy out of work period finally ended in March 1962, when Georgie Fame and The Blue Flames became resident at The Flamingo Club in London’s Soho district, playing all-night dance sessions to packed houses made up of US Air Force personnel, visiting American musicians and London night-lifers. The band’s reputation spread rapidly, and in 1963 they recorded their first album, “Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo” live. A string of hit records in the following years included the no.1 best sellers, “Yeh Yeh”, “Getaway” and “The ballad of Bonnie and Clyde”. At the same time, Georgie pursued his interest in jazz, recording the milestone album “Sound Venture” with the Harry South Big Band. This led directly to the successful tours of the UK and Europe, singing with Count Basie and his Orchestra in 1967/68…

From 1970 to 1973 Fame worked almost exclusively in a memorable partnership forged with fellow musician Alan Price. The duo featured in their own television series “The Price of Fame”, guested on countless others, and produced the hit single “Rosetta”. In 1974, Georgie reformed The Blue Flames and they continue working with him to this day. Away from the keyboards he also sings regularly with Europe’s finest orchestras and big bands where he has made many friends.

He has also composed the music for several radio and TV commercials and the feature films “Entertaining Mr Sloane” and “The Garnett Saga”.

Another milestone was achieved in 1981 when Fame co-produced and performed together with Annie Ross, on the album “In Hoagland” featuring the music of the legendary Hoagy Carmichael. After meeting the great man at his home in Palm Springs, California, a TV special based on the album was made by Scottish Television and won a gold award at The New York Television Festival. A similar tribute to Benny Goodman, recorded in Sweden with Sylvia Vrethammer, followed in 1983. In 1988, whilst on one of his regular visits to Australia, he produced the album “No Worries” with the Aussie Blue Flames. In 1989 the album “A Portrait of Chet”, dedicated to jazz trumpeter Chet Baker, was recorded in Holland.

Another project completed in the 80s, was a musical written with fellow composer, Steve Gray. As yet this outstanding piece of music remains unperformed in public save for a prototype version broadcast on Dutch radio with the Metropole Orchestra and featuring Madeline Bell, but one lives in hope.

In 1989, Georgie Fame joined forces with Van Morrison after being invited to play Hammond organ on the “Avalon Sunset” album the previous year. He also co-produced with Van and performed on the Verve albums, “How Long Has This been Going On” in 1995 and “Tell Me Something” – “The Songs of Mose Allison” released in 1996.

In 1990 Fame signed up with producer Ben Sidran of “Go Jazz” Records and the first album, “Cool Cat Blues”, was released in 1991. Recorded in New York City, it featured such musical luminaries as Van Morrison, Jon Hendricks, Boz Scaggs, Will Lee, Robben Ford, Richard Tee and Bob Malach. The follow-up album, “The Blues and Me”, completed in 1991 and released in 1992, was recorded in similar musical company. It also features special guests Dr John, Phil Woods, Stanley Turrentine and Grady Tate. In 1992, the album, “Endangered Species”, was recorded with the Danish Big Band in Copenhagen and in 1993 the album, “City Life”, featuring Fame, Madeline Bell and the BBC Big Band was released.

A unique album by Three Line Whip (featuring sons, Tristan and James), “Three Line Whip/Will Carling”, was released in the UK in May 1994 and close family friends and musical associates of many years standing augmented the trio. They are: Guy Barker, trumpet; Peter King, alto sax; Alan Skidmore, tenor sax; Steve Gregory, tenor sax/flute; Anthony Kerr, vibraphone; Brian Odgers, bass guitar and Steve Gray, digital piano. The second TLW album, “Namedroppin”, was released in 1997 after being recorded live in true Blue Flames style at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London during one of their annual residencies. A second album, “Walking Wounded”, from the same session was released the following year.

Also in 1997 Bassist Bill Wyman began forming his new band The Rhythm Kings and Georgie Fame was a founder member. Four years, four CD’s and several tours later they are still going strong. During 1999 Fame presented several radio programmes on BBC Radio, including his own six-week series featuring The Blue Flames plus special guests including Madeline Bell, Bill Wyman, Zoot Money, Peter King, Steve Gray and Claire Martin. In the year 2000, Georgie’s CD “Poet in New York”, was voted best Jazz vocal album by the Academie du Jazz in France. There have been over 20 albums and fourteen hit singles. He is equally at home in the company of jazz groups and big bands, orchestras, rock groups and his own band, The Blue Flames.

As a sideman, he has recorded with many artists, including Gene Vincent, Prince Buster, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Joan Armatrading, Andy Fairweather-Low, Bill Wyman and Van Morrison. Amongst his musical influences and heroes, he names Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, The Duke, The Count, Thelonius Monk, Betty Carter, Peggy Lee, Jimmy Smith, Booker T, Chet Baker, Johnny Griffin, Jon Hendricks, Eddie Jefferson, King Pleasure, Sonny Rollins and many more.