Brian Bennett

Brian Bennett may not be an internationally known name, aside from parts of the former British Empire and Japan -- but in England, as a member of the Shadows since 1961, he has been one of the top drummers in rock & roll for two generations, as well as a top arranger and an award-winning film and television composer. His multi-tiered career, which includes running his own record label, has made Bennett one of the most successful musicians of his generation, well into the 21st century. He was born Brian Lawrence Bennett in Palmers Green, North London in 1940. His interest in music dated from an early age, and he left school at 16, in 1957, to take a spot playing drums in a skiffle band. By 1957, he'd become the house drummer at the 2I's coffee bar in Soho, the Mecca for aspiring rock & roll bands in England, and from there he earned a regular spot on the TV music showcase Oh Boy!. By 1959, Bennett was regarded as one of the top rock & roll drummers in England, and part of a growing number of young drummers -- he was not yet 20 -- capable of playing the music well. That year he joined the Wild Cats, the band backing rock & roll singer Marty Wilde. He remained with Wilde for two years, also playing outside live gigs with stars such as Tommy Steele, and he was also featured on a Wild Cats instrumental release of "Trambone," recorded as the Krew Kats. In October of 1961, lightning struck for Bennett's career when Tony Meehan -- then regarded as the top drummer in England -- quit the Shadows, who were then the top rock & roll band in England as well as the backing band for Cliff Richard, the top singer in the field. The opening was one of the most coveted in the country -- the Shadows were regularly topping the charts in their own right, and their concerts with Richard were...