Mansfield singer late fifties to early sixties.

This is all part of the greater “SHANE FENTON AND THE FENTONES” story.

Born in 1944 Johnny Theakstone replaced Roger Lymer, who was the lead singer of his Crusaders, in 1959 bringing a group name change to the Johnny Theakstone Group, Johnny Theakstone and the Beat Boys and then Johnny Theakstone and the Tremelos.

The back story to the group starts back in 1956 with Tony Hinchcliffe.

Tony Hinchcliffe was a drummer based in Mansfield and he formed his own four piece group in and around 1956/57 to enter an inter-factory skiffle contest. The “Tony Hinchcliffe Skiffle Group” (the real name is unknown) won by default when the opposition failed to turn up.
Later, Tony was joined by Jerry Wilcox on lead guitar and he suggested “Bonney” as a bass guitarist. They took on the name of the “Diamond Skiffle Group” and played around the Mansfield area. They entered the heats of the national Carroll Lewis Skiffle talent competition at the Nottingham Empire in October 1957, reaching the final, only losing out to Vince Eager and the Vagabonds.
Finding a new vocalist they became Roger Lymer and his Crusaders. The vocalist then decided to leave to get married and was replaced by a new front man Johnny Theakstone (born 1944 as John Theakston, maybe) in 1959. This meant a change of name which varied from the “Johnny Theakstone Group” and “Johnny Theakstone and the Tremelos”. Mickey Eyre was the next to join the group.
The line up by 1960 was:

Johnny Theakstone: Vocals
Jerry Wilcox: Lead Guitar
Mickey Eyre: Rhythm Guitar
Bonney: Bass Guitar
Mick Hinchcliffe: Drums

The group played locally and further afield. The Boston Gliderdrome was a popular destination for them.

They changed their name in June 1960 to Shane Fenton and the Fentones with Johnny Theakstone taking the role as Shane Fenton named after the famous western movie “Shane” and a local Mansfield printing company called “Fenton”.

They advertised their address which may have been one of the groups homes maybe.

Bernard William Jewry who had played with his own trio “The Jewry Rhythm Band” became friends with Shane Fenton and the Fentones and became their roadie in 1960. Occasionally he would get to sing with them on stage which would eventually prove vital.
Shane Fenton and the Fentones produced a demo tape which was sent to the BBC in 1961 but before they got a reply Johnny Theakstone died at the age of 17. His heart had been damaged in childhood after a bout of rheumatic fever and he died of heart failure.

Following the wishes of his mother, Bernard Jewry took the place of Johnny taking his stage name and the group carried on playing.

A newspaper article from 1962 gives a brief account of the early background story.

Much more to come ………………..

A website maintained by Adrian Barrett is dedicated to the entire story of Shane Fenton and Alvin Stardust and can be found here.