Don't
give up the day job!
Helen
Shapiro may
have hit the top of the charts before she left school
but a lot of the Sixties chartbreakers had to find another way
of paying
their library fines before hitting the big time . . .
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LITTLE RICHARD
SOLD
SNAKE OIL AT FAIRS AND CARNIVALS - AT ONE TIME HE ALSO WASHED DISHES
AT A BUS STATION
JACKIE
WILSON
WAS AN AMERICAN AMATEUR GOLDEN GLOVES BOXING CHAMPION AT WELTERWEIGHT.
HE ALSO WORKED IN A CAR ASSEMBLY PLANT
BO
DIDDLEY
ALSO TRAINED AS A GOLDEN GLOVES BOXER, WHERE HE GOT HIS NICKNAME
BILLY
J.KRAMER
WAS A BRITISH RAIL APPRENTICE FITTER
NILSSON
WAS A COMPUTER SPECIALIST AT SECURITY FIRST NATIONAL BANK
ELVIS
PRESLEY
HAD A JOB AS A DELIVERY TRUCK DRIVER FOR THE CROWN ELECTRIC COMPANY
BROOK
BENTON
WAS ALSO A TRUCK DRIVER, IN NEW YORK
CLIFF
RICHARD
WAS A CREDIT CONTROL CLERK AT ATLAS LAMPS, ENFIELD
SANDIE
SHAW
USED TO BE AN IBM MACHINE OPERATOR
TOMMY
STEELE
WAS, AT VARIOUS TIMES, A PANTRY BOY, A LIFT BOY AND AN ASSISTANT
STEWARD FOR CUNARD
THE
VENTURES
WERE ALL EMPLOYED AS MORTAR REMOVERS FOR A CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
JOHNNY
BURNETTE
WAS A MISSISSIPPI BARGEMAN AND PRO BOXER
DAVE
CLARK
GAVE UP HIS JOB AS A FILM STUNTMAN TO FORM HIS GROUP ( HE WORKED
IN EARLY ADAM FAITH FILMS - LOOK OUT FOR HIM! )
FATS
DOMINO
WORKED IN A BEDMAKING FACTORY WHERE HE NEARLY LOST HIS FINGERS IN
AN ACCIDENT
DAVE
DEE
TRAINED AS A POLICE CADET AND WAS IN ATTENDANCE AT THE FATAL CAR
CRASH INVOLVING GENE VINCENT AND EDDIE COCHRAN
BILLY
FURY
WORKED AS A DECKHAND ON MERSEY TUGBOATS
CILLA
BLACK
USED TO BE A BICC EMPLOYEE AND CLOAKROOM ATTENDANT
DAVID
BOWIE
WORKED IN AN ADVERTISING AGENCY
JAMES
BROWN
WAS SENTENCED TO 4 YEARS HARD LABOUR AT 16
CHUBBY
CHECKER
WORKED IN A CHICKEN MARKET
ERIC
CLAPTON
WAS A BUILDING SITE WORKER AND STUDIED STAINED GLASS DESIGN AT COLLEGE
JOE
COCKER
USED TO BE A GAS BOARD FITTER
DESMOND
DEKKER
TRAINED AS AN ENGINEERING WELDER
DONOVAN
WAITED ON TABLES IN CAFES
LEE
DORSEY
WAS IN THE U.S.NAVY AND BECAME A PRO BOXER AS 'KID CHOCOLATE'
ADAM
FAITH
STARTED AS A MESSENGER BOY FOR RANK SCREEN SERVICES
GEORGIE
FAME
USED TO BE A COTTON FACTORY WORKER
WAYNE
FONTANA
WAS AN APPRENTICE TELEPHONE ENGINEER
FREDDIE
GARRITY
OF 'FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS' HAS BEEN A MILKMAN, A SHOE AND BRUSH
SALESMAN AND AN ENGINEER
MAX
BYGRAVES
WAS A CARPENTER
ROY
ORBISON
STUDIED GEOLOGY AT NORTH TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE ONE OF HIS
CLASSMATES WAS
PAT BOONE
GENE
VINCENT
WAS A DESPATCH RIDER IN THE U.S. NAVY, LEAVING AFTER THE MOTORCYCLE
ACCIDENT THAT WAS TO CAUSE MANY OF HIS LATER PROBLEMS
JULIE
ROGERS
WAS A DANCER IN SPAIN, A SHIP'S STEWARDESS AND A SECRETARY
MARK
WYNTER
SERVED AS A SHOP ASSISTANT IN A GENERAL STORE
SHIRLEY
BASSEY
WORKED IN A FACTORY'S WRAPPING DEPARTMENT
MARC
BOLAN
EARNED A FEW BOB AS A MALE MODEL IN THE SIXTIES
TOMMY
BRUCE
WAS A DRIVER'S MATE AT COVENT GARDEN MARKET
JOHN
LEYTON
HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ACTOR, STARRING IN 'BIGGLES' AND FILMS SUCH AS
'THE GREAT ESCAPE' 'VON RYAN'S EXPRESS' AND 'KRAKATOA' HIS SINGING BREAK
CAME FROM HIS PART AS JOHNNY ST.CYR IN THE SOAP 'HARPER'S, WEST ONE'
MARTHA
REEVES
OF 'THE VANDELLAS' USED TO BE A SECRETARY AT MOTOWN RECORDS WHERE ONE
OF HER JOBS WAS TO LOOK AFTER LITTLE STEVIE WONDER DURING OFFICE
HOURS
DAVID 'SCREAMIN' LORD' SUTCH
WAS A PLUMBER'S MATE
THE WHO
JOHN ENTWISTLE WAS A TRAINEE TAX OFFICER
PETE TOWNSHEND AN ART STUDENT AND
ROGER DALTREY A SHEET METAL WORKER
DAVE BERRY
HAD A JOB AS AN ELECTRIC WELDER
GERRY MARSDEN
OF 'GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS' MADE A FEW BOB AS A BRITISH RAIL DELIVERY
BOY AND A TEA CHEST MAKER
STEVE MARRIOTT
OF 'THE SMALL FACES' WAS A SALES ASSISTANT IN A MUSIC EQUIPMENT
SHOP
CLIFF BENNETT
WAS A FOUNDRY WORKER
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