Heinz Burt

Heinz Burt (24 July 1942 – 7 April 2000) was a German-born British rock and roll bassist and singer of the 1960s, who performed under the stage name Heinz. father had been killed during World War II and his mother decided to move to Britain. Heinz was influenced by the US singer Eddie Cochran and played in a local Eastleigh group, the Falcons, in the 1950s.

Musical career Working in a Southampton grocery shop, Heinz came to the attention of record producer Joe Meek, becoming his protégé. Meek styled Heinz's image, which included persuading him to peroxide his hair. The single was a commercial failure. The film depicts him as Meek's gay lover at a time when homosexual acts were illegal in the United Kingdom. His family have denied that he was homosexual and have stated that the film is a slur. His former wife, Della Burke, who was married to Heinz at the height of his success said, "It is completely and utterly untrue. Heinz was definitely heterosexual." In the 1991 BBC documentary, The Very Strange Story of... the Legendary Joe Meek, when asked if Meek was in love with him, Heinz replied, "Yes. It's an infatuation ... that was the thing with him, where I told him to get off, that I wasn't into that sort of thing ... if there's something you can't have, you want it even more".

Death Crippled by motor neurone disease, Heinz died in 2000 aged 57, following a stroke. He was cremated at Southampton Crematorium in Hampshire. The service was held in the East Chapel. Telstar was played at the service.

Discography UK singles "Dreams Do Come True" (Meek) / "Been Invited to a Party" (Meek, Burt) – May 1963 – Decca F 11652 "Just Like Eddie" (Goddard) / "Don't You Knock on My Door" – 1963 – Decca F11693 – UK No. 5 "I Get Up in the Morning" (Meek) / "Talk Like A Man" / "That Lucky Old Sun" / "Lonely River" (Meek) – 1963 – Decca DFE 8545 "Live It Up" (Meek) / "Don't You Understand" (Meek) / "When Your Loving Goes Wrong" (Meek) – 1963 – Decca DFE 8559 "Country Boy" (Geoff Goddard) / "Long Tall Jack" (Meek/Lawrence) – 1963 – Decca F11768 – UK No. 26 "You Were There" (Geoff Goddard) / "No Matter What They Say" (Meek/Lawrence) – 1964 – Decca F 11831 – UK No. 26 "Please Little Girl" / "For Loving Me This Way" (Meek) – 1964 – Decca F 11920 "Questions I Can't Answer" / "Beating of My Heart" (Meek) – 1964 – Columbia DB7374 – UK No. 39 "Diggin' My Potatoes" (Trad, arr. Meek/Burt) / "She Ain't Coming Back" – 1965 – Columbia DB7482 – Heinz & Wild Boys – UK No. 49 "End of the World" / "You Make Me Feel So Good" (Meek) – 1965 – Columbia DB 7656 "Heart Full Of Sorrow" / "Don't Worry Baby" (Meek /Stephen Reading) – 1965 – Columbia DB 7779 "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (Dylan) / "Big Fat Spider" (Meek/Davis) – 1965 – Columbia DB7559 – Heinz & Wild Boys "Movin' In" (Adams) / "I'm Not A Bad Guy" (J. Allison) – 1966 – Columbia DB 7942 "Country Boy" (Geoff Goddard) / "Just Like Eddie" (Geoff Goddard) (Re-Recordings) – 1981 – Cargo CRS 010

US singles 1964: "Questions I Can't Answer" / "Beating of My Heart" – Tower 110 1965: "Digging My Potatoes" / "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" – Tower 172 1965: "Don't Worry Baby" / "Heart Full Of Sorrow" – Tower 195 1966: "Movin' In" / "I'm Not A Bad Guy" – Tower 253

Albums Tribute to Eddie (Decca LK 4599, 1964) Live album – Various Artists; Live at The Cavern:"I Got A Woman" (live) / "Somebody To Love" (live) (Decca SLK 16294, 1965)