Gary Fletcher (musician)
| Gary Fletcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | London, England |
| Genres | Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Instrumentalist, songwriter |
| Instruments | Bass guitar, guitar |
| Associated acts | The Blues Band |
| Website | www |
Gary Fletcher is a British blues musician, best known for playing bass guitar with The Blues Band, he is also a guitarist and songwriter.
Born in London in the early 1950s, he became interested in blues music in the late 1960s, so he learnt to play his sister's acoustic guitar. Being left-handed, he turned the guitar over, without reversing the strings, so he learnt and continues to play "upside-down".
After his first band, The Breath of Life, he played in Streatham folk-rock band Garfield Row, who were helped by Glenn Cornick. After playing in several blues, folk-rock and country bands, he ended up playing and writing for rock band Panama Scandal. He joined blues band Sam Apple Pie in the mid-1970s, after they had already recorded both their albums, and shortly before they became The Vipers.
Fletcher and his friend Steve Gurl, who had played with Cornick in Wild Turkey, won a recording contract, whilst Fletcher, Gurl and Fletcher's wife Hilary, also won a publishing contract.
In 1978 Fletcher joined The Wildcats led by Wilgar Campbell (Rory Gallagher's ex drummer), where he met Dave Kelly. Kelly invited him to play bass on his album Willing, and suggested Fletcher as bassist when Kelly, Paul Jones, Tom McGuinness and Hughie Flint formed The Blues Band in 1979. Fletcher has remained with The Blues Band from its inception.
Fletcher has written several numbers for the Blues Band, notably "Green Stuff" from the 1980 album Ready, which is still a common encore, and "Stepping Out On Main" from the album Stepping Out
As well as The Blues Band, Fletcher has also undertaken side projects, writing and recording with other musicians, including The Dave Kelly Band and Christine Collister, Dave Kelly & The Travelling Gentlemen.
He formed The Relatives, with his wife Hilary, who released the Feud of Love album on Arone Records in 1997. The Relatives also played live, supplemented by Hilary's sister Vivien on vocals and Fletcher's son Jack on drums.
He formed The Gary Fletcher Band, a semi-acoustic band featuring Gary on acoustic & electric guitars, his son Jack on bass, John Evans on lead guitar and, depending on availability, Rob Townsend, Don James, or Pick Withers on drums/percussion. They are occasionally joined by Mark Feltham on harmonica Their album Human Spirit (BGOCD 780) also includes contributions from Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Dave Kelly and Paul Jones.
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Wikipedia