Bobbie Clarke

Bobbie Clarke
Bobbie Clarke at Rock'n'roll jubilee, Paris 2010
Background information
Birth name	Robert William Woodman
Born	13 June 1940
Origin	Coventry, England
Died	29 August 2014 (aged 74) Coventry, England
Occupation(s)	Drummer
Years active	Late 1950s–2014

Bobbie Clarke (born Robert William Woodman, 13 June 1940 – 29 August 2014) was an English rock drummer. He was regarded by critics as an important figure in the configuration of early British rock and roll, although he is often chiefly remembered for his long term association as the drummer with Vince Taylor and The Playboys.

Clarke originally learned to play as a teenager with Eric Delaney, a jazz artist popular in England in the 1950s. By 1958 Clarke shifted to the flourishing rhythm and blues, and rock scene, joining Vince Eager's Beat Boys, composed of Tony Belcher (guitar), Alan Le Claire (born Alan Cocks, 26 August 1938; piano), and Tex Makins (born Anthony Paul Makins, 3 July 1940; bass), who performed at a London coffee bar. Vince Eager was born Roy Taylor (4 June 1940, Lincoln, Lincolnshire) and was a former member of The Harmonica Vagabonds, The Vagabonds Skiffle Group, Vince Eager and the Quiet Three.

With guitarist Big Jim Sullivan (born James George Tomkins, 14 February 1941), The Beat Boys for a time became Marty Wilde's Wildcats, recording three tunes "High School Confidential", "Too Much" and "Mean Woman Blues". Subsequently, the same band again became The Beat Boys, backing up Billy Fury.

In about December 1958 Bobbie met 19-year-old Vince Taylor who was brought to the UK from America by his brother in law, Joe Barbera, who co-founded Hanna-Barbera. In September 1960, Clarke and his band became Taylor's Playboys with Kenny Pavell (guitar), Clive Powell (piano), and Tex Makins (bass). Powell later became notable as Georgie Fame. When Kenny Pavel left the band to play for Cliff Richard's Drifters, he was replaced for a while by 16-year-old Jimmy Page, future guitarist of Led Zeppelin.

In 1958, their first records, "I Like Love" and "Right Behind You Baby" were released by Parlophone, with Tony Sheridan (Lead Guitar), Tony Harvey (Rhythm Guitar), Brian 'Liquorice' Locking (String Bass), Lou Brian (Piano) and Brian Bennett (Drums). In 1959 "Brand New Cadillac" was released. On 19 August 1960, Palette Records Ltd. released "I'll Be Your Hero" and the famous "Jet Black Machine" with Tony Harvey (Lead Guitar), Johnny Vance (Bass), Alan Le Claire (Piano) and Bobby Woodman (Drums). It stayed in the charts 9 weeks and reached the top 15. The single might have been a bigger hit, but UK teenagers of the time, under the influence of the media, were guided to listen to a more 'clean' sounding Cliff Richard and his band The Shadows.