Jet Harris

Terence "Jet" Harris (6 July 1939 – 18 March 2011) was an English rock and roll musician. He was an original member of Cliff Richard's backing band the Shadows, serving as the bass guitarist from the group's inception until April 1962, after which he had success as a soloist and as a duo with that band's drummer, Tony Meehan. was born at Kingsbury Maternity Hospital, Honeypot Lane, Kingsbury, North West London, England. His prowess as a sprinter at Dudden Hill secondary modern school earned him the nickname Jet. He played in several groups, including the British skiffle group, the Vipers, and with the Most Brothers (featuring future music producer Mickie Most).

Cliff Richard and the Shadows In 1959, he joined Cliff Richard's backing group, then known as "the Drifters", who, in July 1959 at a meeting in the Six Bells pub in Ruislip, changed their name to the Shadows at Harris's suggestion, in order to avoid a legal injunction from the U.S. band, who at the time unbeknownst to its members shared the same name.

Soloist and with the Shadows' Tony Meehan After leaving the Shadows, he signed a contract with Decca and released solo instrumental and vocal work with some success, "Besame Mucho" and "The Man with the Golden Arm" featuring a Fender VI six-string bass guitar.

In October 1962, Harris was part of a package tour of England headlined by Little Richard also starring Sam Cooke. At 14 of the 21 shows, Gene Vincent also appeared. He introduced the acts and sang "Be-Bop-a-Lula" from the front stalls or orchestra pit (work permit restrictions limited his contribution). A photograph of the four musicians backstage at one of the tour venues is part of the Harry Hammond Photographic Collection held by the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. A publicity poster for the tour includes the straplines: "Jet Harris with the JETBLACKS" and "First Solo Appearance" alongside a photograph of Harris.

In late 1962 he was voted 'top instrumentalist' in the readers' poll of the New Musical Express. Harris and Meehan followed this with two further hit singles, "Scarlett O'Hara" (also written by Jerry Lordan) a UK No. 2, and "Applejack" (composed by Les Vandyke) reaching UK No. 4 also in 1963.

There were several court appearances involving drunkenness and violent behaviour was also injured), meant that this success did not last long. Harris attempted a comeback as the "Jet Harris Band", in 1966 and was briefly in the line-up of The Jeff Beck Group in 1967, but somewhat fell out of the music industry.

In 2010, Harris started working with the Shadowers, led by guitarist Justin Daish. He began plans for a new show, featuring fresh material he had never performed before. However, regular tour dates and studio recordings with the Shadowers, Brian "Licorice" Locking and Alan Jones, though discussed, never materialised due to Harris' poor health. His last concert (5 February 2011 at Ferneham Hall, Fareham) saw him perform one tune ("Here I Stand" from his album The Phoenix Rises) with both Locking and Jones; this was the only time the three Shadows bass guitarists would ever perform together.

Honours He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.

In 2010, Harris was presented with a special award from the US Fender guitar company for his services to their company in effectively launching their bass guitar in the UK in 1960.

Personal life and death

Harris had five sons and a daughter.

In 2012, The Heritage Foundation erected a blue plaque in his memory at the Kingswood Centre, Honeypot Lane, Kingsbury, on the site of the former Kingsbury Maternity Hospital where he was born. At the luncheon that followed the unveiling of the plaque, various musicians took part in a performance in Harris' memory, including Mike Berry, Clem Cattini of The Tornados, bassist Mo Foster, guitarist Daniel Martin and Harris' backing group the Shadowers. Tributes were read by Bruce Welch and Marty Wilde.

Members of pre-Shadows groups 1952 – School band Peter Newman (saxophone) + John Welsh (clarinet) + Jet Harris (bass) + Ray Edmunds (drums)

1956 – The Delinquents (jazz trio) ? (vocals) + ? (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + ? (drums)

1956–57 – Wee Willee Harris & Tony Crombie's Rockets ? (vocals) + ? (guitar) + Jet Harris (bass) + Tony Crombie (drums)

1958 – The Vipers (aka the Vipers Skiffle Group) 7" single ("Liverpool Blues" / "Summertime Blues" on Parlophone) Wally Whyton (vocals), Johnny Booker (guitar), Freddie Floyd (guitar), Jet Harris (bass), Tony Meehan (drums) 1958 – The Vipers – live concert Wally Whyton (vocals), Johnny Booker (guitar), Hank Marvin (guitar), Jet Harris (bass), Johnny Pilgrim (wb)

Discography Albums Inside Jet Harris – Ellie Jay Records/Castle Records (1977) Diamonds and Other Gems – Deram 820634-2 (1989) The Anniversary Album – Q Records (1992) Twelve Great Guitar Gems – Zing Records (1994) Live Over England – Zing Records (1996) Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt – Zing Records (1993) Two of a Kind (with Alan Jones) – Zing Records (1997) Tributes and Rarities – Zing Records (1995) One of Our Shadows Is Missing (with The Local Heroes) (1998) The Phoenix Rises – Mustang Music (2001) Diamonds Are Trumps – Solent Records (2002) The Journey – Crazy Lighthouse Records Jet Harris, Nigel Hopkins, Paul Rumble, Cliff Hall, Ruud Wegman (2007)

Singles

EPs Jet Harris – Decca DFE 8502 Jet & Tony (with Tony Meehan, 1963) – Decca DFE 8528, UK No. 3.