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Wales Online
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Original lead singer of The Searchers dies aged 84
Original lead singer of The Searchers dies aged 84 Ronnie "Shorty Rogers" Woodbridge was the original lead singer of The Searchers, who were one of the earliest success stories of Liverpool's booming music scene The Searchers guitarist and singer Mike Pender and Ronnie Woodbridge (Image: Mike Pender facebook ) A trailblazer of the Merseybeat era, Ronnie "Shorty Rogers" Woodbridge, who played a pivotal role in shaping Liverpool's thriving music scene in the 1960s and 70s, has sadly passed away. Woodbridge was the original lead vocalist of the iconic band, The Searchers, one of the pioneering groups to achieve widespread success. The rock legend, 84, left an enduring legacy that spanned over six decades, from performances at The Olympia to Edinburgh's dance halls. Norman Stevens, an 87 year old veteran of Merseybeat and a member of the band Duke Duval, shared a memorable encounter with Ronnie: "One night we were playing at the Holyoake Hall on Smithdown Road, and this lanky tall guy came up and said 'can I do a couple of numbers lads?', and we said yeah. "We called him on and he rocked the place. You couldn't hear what we were playing for him. He was throwing himself all over the place, he had all the actions going." As one of the founding members of the band that would become The Searchers, Ronnie contributed to the group's early success, belting out hits such as "Sweets for My Sweet", "Love Potion No. 9", and "Hippy Hippy Shake" throughout the 1960s. The news of his passing comes on the heels of The Searchers' farewell performance on Glastonbury's Acoustic Stage on Friday night. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Although Ronnie left the band before its meteoric rise to international stardom (becoming the second Liverpool group, after The Beatles, to conquer America), he forged a remarkable music career in his own right. Article continues below After rising to prominence as the lead vocalist with the Nat Allen Orchestra and charming crowds at the Locarno Ballroom in West Derby, which is today known as The Olympia, he uprooted to Edinburgh in 1960 and took a gig at the Palais de Danse in Fountainbridge, reports the Liverpool Echo. He humorously donned the stage name "Shorty Rogers", a witty nod to his considerable stature, entertaining audiences six nights a week. When the dance hall era waned, he pressed on with his solo ventures across rock and roll, country music, and comedy, gracing various stages throughout Scotland. Norman reminisced: "He was at the start of The Searchers, in fact it was him who gave them the name The Searchers from the John Wayne film of the same name. He was a nice guy too, a real Liverpool bloke we should all be proud of. "When Duke Duval finished we became the resident band at the Empress Jazz Club on Victoria Road in New Brighton and Ronnie used to come and sing with us from time to time. "He was spotted by someone from a large orchestra from Edinburgh along with this lad called Johnny, who was what we called 'the Liverpool Elvis Presley'. Him and Ronnie Wood were invited to join the large orchestra in Edinburgh and off they went, and good luck to them. "It was an absolutely marvellous time because it was all new, all raw, all against everything that our parents had stood for. They all still wore suits and ties, and we said 'bugger that we want to do what we want to do!' and off it went. We broke new ground and it echoed all over the country, bands springing up, it was all going on." Ronnie was born in January 1941 and raised in Anfield by his father and stepmother, alongside three siblings. In 1962, Ronnie and his wife Frances tied the knot, and their two sons followed in their father's musical footsteps. Article continues below Mike Pender, the renowned guitarist and vocalist of The Searchers, paid homage to his late friend, remarking: "I was saddened to learn of the passing of Ron Woodbridge. "Ron was with me the day we watched John Wayne give us the unforgettable name still famous today! Goodbye Ron. Gone but not forgotten."
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Searchers, 60s chart toppers, to bow out at Glastonbury
By Paul Sandle The Searchers, 60s chart toppers, to bow out at Glastonbury GLASTONBURY, England, - The Searchers, the Liverpool band that topped the charts in the 1960s with "Sweets for My Sweet", "Needles and Pins" and "Don't Throw Your Love Away", will play their final show at Glastonbury Festival on Friday after 66 years of touring. Formed in 1959 by John McNally and Mike Pender, the group was part of the Merseybeat scene alongside Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Beatles that broke through in the early 1960s before finding success in the United States. Bass player and singer Frank Allen, who joined in 1964, said The Searchers had played "final" gigs before but decided to come back one last time after an invitation from the festival in southwestern England. "We had said that was it, unless something comes up that we really couldn't turn down," Allen, 81, told Reuters. "If there was going to be a bigger one to end on, then that's the one." "It will be mostly the hits, a few little things, tributes maybe to some of the other people that we've toured with over the years." The band has shared bills with the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and Cliff Richard, as well as Motown artists in the U.S., he said. After playing to screaming fans in the 1960s, tastes changed in the 1970s and the band moved to the club circuit. "We survived and we came out the other side bigger and better," Allen said. "And as we hit the end of the 70s, everything took off again and there was a new respect for everything we'd done in the past." Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty are among those who said they were influenced by the group's sound, he said. Other performers at Worthy Farm this year include Neil Young, 79, and Rod Stewart, 80. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Independent
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Britain's oldest pop band to split after farewell show at Glastonbury
The Searchers, the longest-running band in pop history, have decided to call it a day after 68 years. The group rose to fame in the early Sixties as part of Liverpool 's Merseybeat scene, where they were contemporaries of The Beatles. Yet they formed three years before the Fab Four, in 1957, beginning as a skiffle group and later sold millions of records, with hits such as their Jackie DeShannon cover 'When You Walk in the Room', their No 1 'Sweets for My Sweet', and their No 2 single 'Sugar and Spice'. They announced this week that they plan on retiring after what will be their first and only show at Glastonbury Festival in June. Speaking to The Guardian, guitarist John McNally, 83, and bassist and singer Frank Allen, 81, said they had decided to retire partly because of their age, but also because they were sick of driving up and down motorways in heavy traffic. 'Age slows you down a bit,' Allen, who joined the band in 1964, said. 'We did between 180 and 200 shows a year. But driving up and down the motorways is the hard part because the traffic is so much heavier than it ever was… 'There was never a problem with recovering from a show because that's the thing that brings you to life. We were always fit to do a show. It's just the driving up and down motorways.' Original member McNally, who formed the band when he was 16, agreed: 'The traffic is now an absolute nightmare.' Allen told The Independent last year that The Searchers initially decided to call it a day in 2019, after growing weary of non-stop touring. Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial 'We thought, well, we've been doing this for six decades, about time to have a rest,' he said. 'We were getting on, we were well past retirement age and we'd been doing 200 shows a year up until that point.' After five years of 'retirement' however, the band's jokes about a comeback tour became reality, and the consequent shows turned out to be 'a lot fun'. 'By the end of it, we finished on an epic night in Liverpool at the Philharmonic and it was probably the best night we've had of our careers,' Allen said. 'We were on such a high.' Asked about the secret to The Searchers' longevity, he said it was down to being 'being a part of one of the most important periods in pop history'. 'If you made it during that period, people are never gonna forget you,' he said. 'We've influenced so many American names, from The Byrds to Tom Petty, Marshall Krenshaw, Bruce Springsteen. We've had our time in the sun.' The band's current lineup comprises Allen, McNally, Spencer James and Richie Burns. Allen said no one had asked them to play Glastonbury until now: 'No one's asked us. The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a career.' The Searchers will appear on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury on 27 June. This year's festival is being headlined by Neil Young, Olivia Rodrigo and The 1975, with Rod Stewart in the Legends' Slot.
The Guardian
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Searchers bring their musical quest to an end after 68 years
They are the longest-running band in pop history, selling tens of millions of records and filling venues worldwide in a 68-year career. But now the Searchers have decided to take their final bow. The group, who were contemporaries of the Beatles during 'the British invasion' will play their last ever show at this year's Glastonbury festival, after a 'final farewell tour' of Britain. The band's guitarist John McNally, 83, and bassist and singer Frank Allen, 81, told the Guardian they have decided to retire, partly because age is catching up with them, but also because the increased traffic on the roads now makes it so hard to travel from one gig to another. Allen, who joined the Searchers in 1964, said: 'Age slows you down a bit. We did between 180 and 200 shows a year. But driving up and down the motorways is the hard part because the traffic is so much heavier than it ever was … There was never a problem with recovering from a show because that's the thing that brings you to life. We were always fit to do a show. It's just the driving up and down motorways.' McNally, who formed the band when he was 16 in 1957, said: 'The traffic is now an absolute nightmare.' The Merseybeat band found fame playing in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg. Their debut No 1 hit Sweets for My Sweet in 1963 was followed by the chart-toppers Needles and Pins and Don't Throw Your Love Away, establishing them as a global act by the mid-1960s. But they have never played Glastonbury until now. 'No one's asked us,' Allen said. 'The Searchers are finally performing at the greatest music festival of them all. What a way to round off a tour and a career.' McNally added: 'A Glastonbury debut at 83! Can anyone top that? … We can't wait to see our fans again for this incredible final farewell.' Glastonbury has long championed ageing stars, including Paul McCartney, who headlined in 2022 at the age of 80. Those playing this year include Rod Stewart, 80, and Neil Young, 79. McNally – the son of a Liverpool docker and a barmaid – said some of the veterans keep on playing because there is now money to be made. The Searchers were among many musicians who did not earn much in the past: 'In the 1960s, no one had a rulebook to follow, no person to look after them. We just went through the motions and got ripped off.' He added: 'You think: hang on, where's the money going? We did our first tour of America in 1964 and, when we got back, it was like: 'tuppence for you and tuppence for you and tuppence for you …'. What? We were paying for everything. We didn't make any money on that tour.' Sign up to Sleeve Notes Get music news, bold reviews and unexpected extras. Every genre, every era, every week after newsletter promotion Asked whether it was agents, managers and record producers who ripped them off, he said: 'Yes, they know all the ins and outs … we were just stupid musicians, so naive.' Allen spoke of the buzz of being on stage: 'There's something special about it that keeps you young. It's just very addictive. People are cheering and telling you you're wonderful.' The Searchers have made previous attempts to retire, only to be coaxed back by their fans, who were crying on the last tour. In 2023, their 43-date tour sold out. So too their 2024 tour. The Searchers' Final Farewell tour runs from 14 to 27 June. The band will appear on the Acoustic Stage at the Glastonbury festival on 27 June
