Bert Weedon
Bert Weedon OBE (born Herbert Maurice William Weedon on10 May 1920; died 20 April 2012) was an English guitarist and composer whose style of guitar playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the UK Singles Chart, in 1959, and his best-selling tutorial guides, Play in a Day, were a major influence on many leading musicians. He was born in East Ham, Essex, now Greater London.
Weedon began learning the guitar at twelve. The first British guitarist in the UK Singles Chart, with "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" in 1959, he was an influence on many stars, including Eric Clapton, Brian May, Mike Oldfield, The Shadows and The Beatles.
As well as his hits and TV appearances at a crucial time in modern British music history, his best-known contribution to British guitar style is his tutorial guide Play in a Day, which many stars claim was a major influence on their learning and playing.
His playing style focuses on both rhythm and melody, and is itself influenced by the jazz guitarists of the 1950s, notably Les Paul. Weedon placed a lot of emphasis on control of tone, and wanted to make the guitar the star of his music.
The later 1960s generation of underground rock performers satirised him as too mainstream, the Bonzo Dog Band singing the line "We are normal and we dig Bert Weedon" in 1968.
Married to Maggie Weedon, he has two sons, Lionel and Geoffrey, and nine grandchildren.
A Water Rat, he is highly active in charity work and fundraising, especially for children and the disabled, and was elected King Rat in 1992. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2001 for his services to entertainment and charities.
His playing style is best known nowadays through the music of The Shadows, especially Hank Marvin.
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