HARRY
(AITCH) FIELDER
SUPPORTING ARTIST
FILMS AND TELEVISION...
IMDB: http://uk.imdb.com/name/nm0276092
After
thirty-two years in the
film and television
industry one of my
grandsons heard The
family talking about it
and said, "What did
you do in the movies
Grandad?"
Well I got to thinking,
what have I done with my
life over the last fifty
years?
I could have still been a
GPO messenger boy (1955)
I could have still been
making Christmas crackers
(1956)
I could have still been
dyeing feathers (1957)
I could have still been
working for Andersons
Timber Yard in Islington
(1958-1966)
Mind you
it was while I was at the
timber yard that I bought
a second hand spanish
guitar for the princely
sum of fifty bob (two
pounds fifty pence) and
soon learned half a dozen
chords. With a school
friend, (Lenny Ross) we
entered the big wide
world of pop music. We
were going to compete
with Cliff, Marty, Adam
and co. We knew half a
dozen skiffle type songs
on strumming guitars and
were about to take on the
world.
FIRST
GIG… We
walked into The North
Pole pub one Saturday
night to embark on our
musical careers. Dressed
in identical check
shirts, cravats and jeans
we asked the landlord for
two beers. (Brown ales,
we were big time
drinkers) They had a back
lounge where an old boy
used to murder the piano.
LANDLORD:
Do you boys know how to
play those guitars?
AITCH: Of course we do.
LANDLORD: Well get out
the back and try to liven
things up a bit.
AITCH: How much are you
paying?
LANDLORD: Another two
beers for free, it’s
an audition.
We played
our repertoire of six
skiffle songs and stood
down to drink our beers.
We got a fair ovation
from the crowd of
drinkers. As the old boy
got back up to strangle
the piano the landlord
bought us another couple
of beers.
LANDLORD:
Do you know anymore songs
boys?
AITCH: Yea, loads! (What
was I saying?)
LANDLORD: There’s
only an hour left till we
close so you can finish
off the session as part
of your audition, and
you’ll get free beer
for the rest of the
night…
What I
learned that night was
the more people get drunk
the more they wanted to
sing like Elvis or Jerry
lee Lewis…
They sang, we played (Not
the right chords half the
time but it was a first
for that pub. It was 1958
and it was Rock and
Roll). At the end of the
session amid much dancing
and cheering Lenny and I
sat down to a table full
of brown ale’s (From
the landlord and the
punters).
They took a collection
round for us on a beer
tray and after we counted
it the amount was as much
as I earned in a week at
the timber yard. (THIS
WAS SHOWBIZ!).
Within a
month we had bought
electric guitars and amps
(on credit).
We found a drummer who
used to play in the boy
scouts and a bass player
that started out on a tea
chest. As lead singer and
guitarist I would come
home at lunchtime from
the timber yard and
practice new songs and
play them the same night.
(Practice makes perfect)
I fronted
different bands for the
next eight years while
keeping my job at the
timber yard. (Showbiz
doesn’t pay that
good)
I even played the
2I’s coffee bar in
Old Compton Street.
That’s where Tommy
Steele started. I met
Mary at one gig in south
London and we got married
in 1963. We’re still
together and have three
children. Connie 1964,
Tony 1966 and Stewart in
1969…
CONTENTS
PAGE
THUMBNAIL
GALLERY
SIGN
THE GUESTBOOK
Radio
Interview with
Harry (BBC Three Counties
Radio 18/3/2004)
Text
and Pictures by Harry
'Aitch' Fielder
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