Charlie Whitney
| John "Charlie" Whitney | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard John Whitney |
| Born |
24 June 1944 Skipton, North Yorkshire, England |
| Genres | Rock, blues-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Guitar, piano, violin, keyboards, accordion, mellotron, sitar, banjo |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Labels | Reprise, RCA, Hux, Windsong, Vertigo, Mystic (UK), Castle |
| Associated acts | The Farinas, Family, Bobby Tench, Roger Chapman, Axis Point, Streetwalkers, Los Racketeeros, The Roaring Sixties |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Gibson EDS-1275 Fender Telecaster Gibson Les Paul |
|
Richard John Whitney (born 24 June 1944 in Skipton, North Yorkshire), also known as John "Charlie" Whitney, John Whitney and Charlie Whitney, is an English rock guitarist and a founder member of the rock bands Family, Streetwalkers and Axis Point.
Whitney attended Leicester Art College in 1962, and he formed his own band known as The Farinas. They played rhythm and blues, and featured Jim King on saxophone and vocals, bassist Tim Kirchin and drummer Harry Overnall. They performed songs by Chuck Berry and The Coasters before releasing the single "You'd Better Stop" in August 1964. Later, Ric Grech replaced Tim Kirchin and Roger Chapman joined as the principal lead singer, giving a heavier blues sound before renaming the band The Roaring Sixties.
During 1966, The Roaring Sixties were renamed Family and they replaced their drummer Overnall with Rob Townsend. The band issued its first single as Family entitled "Scene Through The Eye Of A Lens/Gypsy Woman" in 1967 and Family's debut album Music in a Doll's House followed in July 1968. Family's heavy, experimental rock music gained them a reputation as a progressive underground band, and Whitney became famous both for his cocky expression and his double-necked Gibson guitar. By 1970, with the release of their albums A Song For Me and Anyway and an unforgettable appearance at the third Isle of Wight Festival on 28 August 1970, Family was creating some of the fastest and loudest rock and the most intense acoustic music in the British underground scene. Although Family proved to be popular in UK and continental Europe, success in the US eluded them and in 1973 the group broke up.
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