Freddie 'Fingers' Lee (24 November 1937 – 13 January 2014) (born Frederick John Cheesman) was a British singer, guitarist and pianist. His repertoire ranged from rock and roll,

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western music ...

and country music. He was known for his wild antics on stage, which sometimes included destroying a piano with an axe or chainsaw.

Biography

Born in Consett, Durham in 1937, Lee lost his right eye following an accident with a dart thrown by his father. He would later sometimes cover this eye with a pirate patch. Working as a scaffolder in London in the mid-1950s he taught himself to play his landlady's piano. His music career began in the late 1950s as the guitarist of a

skiffle Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...

band. His music direction was influenced by

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made ...

and he later said, "when I was a child I was impressed by Winifred Atwell who played piano and I did not think we could play this instrument as did Jerry Lee Lewis." He then joined

Screaming Lord Sutch Screaming Lord Sutch (10 November 1940 – 16 June 1999), who had his name legally changed from David Edward Sutch, was an English musician and perennial parliamentary candidate. He was the founder of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party an ...

as pianist beside the young

Ritchie Blackmore Richard Hugh Blackmore (born 14 April 1945) is an English guitarist and songwriter. He was a founding member of Deep Purple in 1968, playing jam-style hard rock music that mixed guitar riffs and organ sounds. He is prolific in creating guita ...

on guitar. He then toured with

Eden Kane Richard Graham Sarstedt (born 29 March 1940Some sources, including his own website, give 1942 as his birth year; but official sources give 1940.), known by the stage name Eden Kane, is an English pop/ rock singer, musician, record producer and ...

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and

Marty Wilde Marty Wilde, (born Reginald Leonard Smith; 15 April 1939) is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, scoring several 1950s hit singles including " Endless Sl ...

. In 1960 he became the guitarist for the

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- it was Sutch who gave him his nickname - but moved to piano after

joined the band. He often wore an eye patch over his right eye. In the 1960s, Lee made many tours across Europe. Playing in the Star-Club in Hamburg, he met the

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

and later said, "I am from the same background as them, the working class with the same ideal." He also played with many of his heroes including Jerry Lee Lewis,

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

, Little Richard,

Gene Vincent Vincent Eugene Craddock (February 11, 1935 – October 12, 1971), known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rockabilly and rock and roll. His 1956 top ten hit with his backing band the Blue Caps, " Be-Bop-a-Lula ...

and the Crickets. Forming his own band in 1965, an early member was Ian Hunter, later to form

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. He released the singles "The Friendly Undertaker" (1965) and "Bossy Boss" (1966). His stage antics continued - with pianos destroyed with chainsaws and explosives. In 1978 Lee joined Jack Good's revival of his successful 1950s show Oh Boy!. It was during this show that Lee took to wearing an eye patch. Lee was notable performer on the show and made a star of

Shakin' Stevens Michael Barratt (born 4 March 1948), known professionally as Shakin' Stevens, is a Welsh singer and songwriter. He was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, althoug ...

. Lee also released two albums, ''Freddie Fingers Lee'' (1978) and ''Ol’ One-Eye's Back'' (1979). Lee appeared in the 1980 film ''Blue Suede Shoes'' which detailed the revival of 1950s rock 'n' roll music scene at the time. He destroys a piano at the end of his song with an axe. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s Lee made many appearance at rock and roll clubs and festivals and played extensively across Europe. He suffered two strokes in 2002 and 2006 which ended his stage career.

Death

Forced to retire from live stage appearance, Lee died on 13 January 2014 at the age of 76 from

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...

in Newcastle , England.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Freddie Fingers 1937 births 2014 deaths Deaths from pneumonia in England British rockabilly musicians