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 . . .

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