Gary Fletcher is a British blues musician, best known for playing bass guitar with

The Blues Band The Blues Band is a British blues band formed in 1979 by Paul Jones, former lead vocalist and harmonica player with Manfred Mann, and guitarist Tom McGuinness also of Manfred Mann and The Roosters. The band’s first line-up also included b ...

. He is also a guitarist and songwriter.

Early life

Born in London in the early 1950s, he became interested in blues music in the late 1960s, so he learnt to play his sister's acoustic guitar. Being left-handed, he turned the guitar over, without reversing the strings, so he learnt and continues to play "upside-down". Gary Fletcher Biography on Gary Fletcher Music
Retrieved 24 July 2009 After his first band, The Breath of Life, he played in Streatham folk-rock band Garfield Row, who were helped by

Glenn Cornick Glenn Douglas Barnard Cornick (23 April 1947 – 28 August 2014) was an English bass guitarist, best known as the original bassist for the British rock band Jethro Tull from 1967 to 1970. ''Rolling Stone'' has called his playing with Tull as " ...

. After playing in several blues, folk-rock and country bands, he ended up playing and writing for rock band Panama Scandal. He joined blues band

Sam Apple Pie Sam Apple Pie were a British blues-rock band, of the late 1960s and 1970s, noted for having played at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, and for playing a role in the early careers of several musicians including Gary Fletcher, Dave Charles ...

in the mid-1970s, after they had already recorded both their albums, and shortly before they became The Vipers. Fletcher and his friend Steve Gurl, who had played with Cornick in Wild Turkey, won a recording contract, whilst Fletcher, Gurl and Fletcher's wife Hilary, also won a publishing contract. Gary Fletcher on GTA agency site
Retrieved 24 July 2009

Career

The Blues Band

In 1978 Fletcher joined The Wildcats led by

Wilgar Campbell Wilgar William Campbell (1946 – October 1989) was an Irish blues rock musician, best known for his role as drummer with Rory Gallagher in the early 1970s. Career Early career Campbell played with Belfast band The Method, who moved to London in ...

(

Rory Gallagher William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...

's ex-drummer), where he met Dave Kelly. Kelly invited him to play bass on his album ''Willing'', and suggested Fletcher as bassist when Kelly, Paul Jones, Tom McGuinness and

Hughie Flint Hughie Flint (born 15 March 1940, Manchester, Lancashire) is an English drummer, known for his stint in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, for his group McGuinness Flint in the early 1970s and for his subsequent association with The Blues Ba ...

formed

in 1979. Fletcher has remained with The Blues Band from its inception. Fletcher has written several numbers for the Blues Band, notably "Green Stuff" from the 1980 album ''Ready'', which is still a common encore, and "Stepping Out On Main" from the album ''Stepping Out''.

Side Projects

As well as The Blues Band, Fletcher has also undertaken side projects, writing and recording with other musicians, including The Dave Kelly Band and Christine Collister, Dave Kelly & The Travelling Gentlemen. He formed The Relatives, with his wife Hilary, who released the ''Feud of Love'' album on Arone Records in 1997. The Relatives also played live, supplemented by Hilary's sister Vivien on vocals and Fletcher's son Jack on drums. He formed The Gary Fletcher Band, a semi-acoustic band featuring Gary on acoustic & electric guitars, his son Jack on bass, John Evans on lead guitar and, depending on availability,

Rob Townsend Rob Townsend (born 7 July 1947) is an English rock and blues drummer. He was the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band. Biography Townsend was born in Frog Island, Leicester, England, where he spent his teenage y ...

, Don James, or

Pick Withers David "Pick" Withers (born 4 April 1948) is an English rock and jazz drummer. He was the original drummer of rock band Dire Straits and played on their first four albums, which included hit singles such as " Sultans of Swing", " Romeo and Jul ...

on drums/percussion. They are occasionally joined by Mark Feltham on harmonica Their album ''Human Spirit'' (BGOCD 780) also includes contributions from

Bernie Marsden Bernard John Marsden (born 7 May 1951) is an English rock and blues guitarist. He is primarily known for his work with Whitesnake, having written or co-written with David Coverdale many of the group's hit songs, such as "Fool for Your Loving", ...

Micky Moody Michael Joseph "Micky" Moody (born 30 August 1950) is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden ...

, Dave Kelly and Paul Jones. In 2007

Dave Sharp Dave Sharp (born 28 January 1959) is an English guitarist who co-founded, along with Mike Peters, the Welsh punk/new wave band The Alarm. Early career Sharp was born in Kersal, Salford, Lancashire, and began playing with the band Seventeen ...

and

Henry McCullough Henry Campbell Liken McCullough (21 July 1943 – 14 June 2016) was a Northern Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was best known for his work as a member of Spooky Tooth, The Grease Band and Paul McCartney and Wings. He also perf ...

invited Fletcher to join the first lineup of The Hard Travelers, a band they formed to play

Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired ...

songs. The first lineup also included keyboardist

Zoot Money George Bruno Money (born 17 July 1942) is an English vocalist, keyboardist and bandleader. He is best known for his playing of the Hammond organ and association with his Big Roll Band. Inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles, he was draw ...

and drummer

Colin Allen Colin Eric Allen (born 9 May 1938) is an English blues drummer and songwriter. Career Allen spent the first ten years of his adult life working in aircraft engineering. He became interested in jazz at the age of 16 and two years later starte ...

, but later became a Sharpe/McCullough duo. His son Jack was hospitalised after a major accident, and played music to help his recovery. Gary joined him to perform for the patients, and once Jack was released, they played at local parties and pubs as The Fletchers. Both of them sing, and play guitar and bass, but The Fletchers appearances are limited by Gary's commitment to The Blues Band and The Gary Fletcher Band, and Jack's appearances as drummer for Aphid. Fletcher has also appeared solo, releasing ''The Official Gary Fletcher Bootleg Album'' (Hypertension HYP4227) which includes original versions of several songs he wrote for The Blues Band, and recorded a session for BBC Radio 2 broadcast in Mar ’05

Current

Currently, Fletcher performs live with Dave Kelly, Pick Withers, Pete Emery and Zoot Money as

The British Blues Allstars ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

Personal life

Outside of music Fletcher is a keen racing driver, although he only took this up in his mid-40s. Initially competing in the '95/'96 Ford Credit Fiesta Challenge, his first win came in July '98 at Castle Combe in the Proton Coupe Cup and he came third overall in the '99 Championship. As music commitments limit the number of races he can compete in, he became a racing instructor.Motorsport on Gary Fletcher Music
Retrieved 24 July 2009

Discography

Solo/Gary Fletcher Band

*Official Gary Fletcher Bootleg Album (2004) *Human Spirit (2007) *Giant From The Blue, Gary Fletcher Band (2011) *In solitary (2015)

With Dave Kelly

*Willing (1979) *Feels Right (1981) *Dave Kelly Band Live (1983) *Mind In A Glass (1984) *Making Whoopee - 1979/1982 (1993) Compilation album of "Feels right"-time. Gary is not playing bass on every song. *Waiting For Bessie-1984/1987 (1997) Compilation of "Mind In A Glass/Heart Of The City -Dave Kelly Band's albums. Gary is playing bass only on "Mind In A Glass". Tex Comer is bass player on "Heart Of The City".

With Christine Collister, Dave Kelly and the Travelling Gentlemen

*Live (2008)

With The British Blues All Stars

*Live at the Notodden Blues Festival (2007)

With The Blues Band

*Official Bootleg Album (1980) *Ready (1980) *Itchy Feet (1981) *Brand Loyalty (1982) *Bye Bye Blues (1983) *These Kind of Blues (1987) *Back For More (1989) *Fat City (1991) *Homage (1993) *Wire Less (1995) *18 years old and live(1997):rerelease: Live In Poland (2002) *Brassed Up (1999) *Scratching My Screen (2000) *Greenstuff Live at BBC 1982 (2001) *Stepping out (2002) *Few Short Lines (2011) ;Compilations *Best of the Blues Band (1999) *Itchy Feet/Brand Loyalty (Reissue) (2001) *Official Bootleg Album/Ready (Reissue) (2001) *Be My Guest (2004) *Thank You Brother Ray (2004) *Best of the Blues Band (2005) *Blues Band Box (2005)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Gary Living people English blues guitarists English male guitarists People from Streatham Year of birth missing (living people) The Blues Band members