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Guitar legend Bert Weedon passes away

Guitar legend Bert Weedon passes away

TRIBUTES have been paid to the guitar legend Bert Weedon who has passed away aged 91.

Mr. Weedon is regarded as having been one of Britain’s most accomplished instrumental stars. He inspired millions of people to take up playing the guitar through his training manual Play In A Day.

Among the many top musicians who learned to play the guitar from his books are Brian May, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney. 

Mr. Weedon had always wanted to play the guitar and got his first instrument, a battered specimen from a stall in London’s Petticoat Lane, when he was 12.  Finding someone to teach him how to play proved difficult at first, but he was eventually taken on by a teacher called James Newell, who specialised in classical guitar.

This proved a frustration at first for the young Bert but he eventually acknowledged that his early classical training was a great asset since it gave him the ability to play any form of music at sight.

His early work was with top bands, including Ted Heath, Mantovani and The Squadronaires. When Rock ‘n’ Roll emerged, Mr. Weedon was soon in demand as a guitar soloist on recordings of some of the top singers of the day, including Marty Wilde, Tommy Steele and Cliff Richard.

He went on to be a top-selling musician in his own right — becoming the first solo guitarist to reach singles chart with Guitar Boogie Shuffle in 1959 (see below).

Mr. Weedon also penned a number of hits, including Ginchy, Sorry Robbie and Nashville Boogie.

He was awarded an O.B.E. in 2001 for his services to music.

Mr. Weedon passed away at his home in Buckinghamshire.

To see Bert Weedon perform Guitar Boogie Shuffle, click here.

 

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