Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, also billed as Bob Kerr and His Whoopee Band, is a

jazz band A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a ho ...

which started in 1967 and continues to perform today. It was an offshoot of the eclectic

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as the Bonzo Dog Band or the Bonzos) was created by a group of British Art school, art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic music, psychedelia with sur ...

, and shared many similarities with other outfits of the time such as

The New Vaudeville Band The New Vaudeville Band was an English group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallée megaphone-style vocal. To hi ...

and

The Temperance Seven The Temperance Seven is a British band originally active in the 1950s, specialising in 1920s-style jazz music. They were known for their surreal performances. Career The Temperance Seven was founded at Christmas 1955 by students at the C ...

. Founder

Bob Kerr Robert Kerr may refer to: Sportsmen * Robert Kerr (Australian footballer) (born 1967), former Australian rules footballer * Robert Kerr (athlete) (1882–1963), Canadian athlete & Olympic medalist * Robbie Kerr (racing driver) (born 1979), English ...

had been a member of both the Bonzos and the New Vaudeville Band.

Membership

Started in 1967, by 1971, for the album ''Making Whoopee'', the band's membership consisted of Bob Kerr, Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell, Sam Spoons, James Chambers, John "Evil Gieves" Watson, Biff Harrison, Franklin Tomes and David Glasson. Kerr, Nowell and Spoons had all been members of the

Bonzo Dog Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as the Bonzo Dog Band or the Bonzos) was created by a group of British art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelia with surreal humour and avant-garde a ...

. In 1976, for the album ''The Whoopee Band'', the membership consisted of Evil John Gieves Watson (banjo), Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell (tenor banjo), Biff Harrison, David Glasson (piano), Jim "Golden Boots" Chambers, and Bob Kerr. For an August 1977 gig, the membership consisted of Bob Kerr (trumpet, trombone), Vernon Dudley Bowhay-Nowell (banjo), "Gentleman Frankie" Tooms (sousaphone), Sam Spoons (drums), "Evil John" Gieves Watson (banjo), Biff Harrison (clarinet, saxophone), Jim "Golden Boots" Chambers (saxophone), and David "Mr. Piano" Glasson (piano). In 1978, for the ''Hard Pressed'' album, the membership consisted of Bob Kerr (cornet), Jim "Golden Boots" Chambers (alto sax), Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell (tenor banjo), "Evil" John Gieves Watson, Biff Harrison, David Glasson (piano), Sam Spoons (drums) and Frank Tooms. In 1981, for the ''Things That Go Bump in the Mike'' album, the membership consisted of Bob Kerr, Jim Chambers, Vernon Dudley Bowhay Nowell, Biff Harrison, Sam Spoons, Hugh Crozier (piano) and Frank Tooms. Two years later, the band split with Biff Harrison, Sam Spoons, Jim Chambers and John Gieves Watson moving off to the Bill Posters Will Be Band. This band continued with Megs Etherington and another former Whoopee member, Peter Shade. By the time of a 1987 performance in Germany, the Whoopee Band consisted of Bob Kerr - tuba, Vernon Dudley Bowhay-Nowell - banjo, Richard White - clarinet, Hugh Crozier - piano, Frank Tomes - sousaphone and Colin Bowden - drums Members of Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band are

, John "The Professor" Percival, Malcolm Sked, Bert Lamb and Henri Harrison.

Former members

Former members of the band have included: *Vernon Dudley Bowhay-Nowell *Ian Howarth *Frankie Tomes *Sam Spoons *Hugh Crozier *Evil John Gieves Watson *Biff Harrison *Jim "Golden Boots" Chambers *David "Mr Piano" Glasson * Sean Moyses *Dangerous Dave Keech *Spike Botterill *Mad Henry Davis *Clive Fenton *Tim Phillips *Fred Ward *Sir Alan Buckley *Phil Buckley *Richard White *Dave Turner *Roscoe (The Binman) Birchmore *Graham Collicott *Mike Hobbs *Mike Kemp

External links

Official site
{{Authority control British jazz ensembles Musical groups established in 1967 British comedy jazz ensembles British surrealist artists