My mum and dad James Arthur Davies

and Elizabeth Lillian Campbell,  met just before the war outside the picture house in Garston Liverpool, The Empire, dad was walking past with his mates with his George Raft trilby on, my mum was in the queue with her mates, and she remarked at him " if you can't fight wear a big hat".  The war started mum joined the army, dad was a bricklayer so they wouldn't let him join the services at first. Dad was a very good footballer.  he signed professional forms with New Brighton when they were in the old Third Division, but his application was finally accepted to join the services, so the first game he was supposed to play in, he was on his way to join the Royal Navy, where he served on HMS Illustrious and aircraft carrier. mum meantime was always getting her corporal stripes and then getting stripped of them, one time she through scalding hot water over German prisoners because they were laughing at pictures that had come out about Jewish concentration camps, that was mum small but fiery when she wanted to be.

After the war dad went back to the building trade, mum in the meantime had lost two babies, My grandad Joe Davies was on professional forms with Hull City after the first World War,, my mums dad was an interesting character,. he lived in Kirkcudbright in Scotland and most of his family were Vets, but he ran away to sea at 14, did that for a few years then left his ship in New York to try his fortune, where he ended up getting a job as a clown with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, around this time he met his good friend Victor Mclagan the old Hollywood actor that you can see in many John Wayne films, like "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" and more famously " the Quiet Man" where he had that famous fight scene.  Victor once saved my grandads life he had been attacked by babboons and was being gored and Victor shot a couple which chased the rest away,  grandad had massive scars on his legs and body all his life after that. he then went to South Africa where bought a big house and had shares in a gold mine, and this where it becomes funny he came home to Britain and ended up in Liverpool, where he met my gran, she lived in Scotland Road and her first remark to him was Wait for it  " if you can't fight wear a big hat" familiar or what.  they were married but she flatly refused to move to South Africa so grandad left caretakers in the house and never went back, didn't sell his house didn't sell his shares in the goldmine, just walked away from it all. So our family on papaer could be millionaires but nobody knows where this all is or how to find out, it's just a distant dream. Grandad was a very funny man who had a very shaky hands, he had shell shock in the 1st World war, my only memory of him was walking from the kitchen in his house in Speke,carrying a cup of tea and by the time he got to the living room with his hand shaking he would only have half a cup left, I wished he had lived longer i think we would have got on great.

I was born April 1948 everything was great so my parents told me that one day I went down very ill and they took me to hospital, and at 18 months I was struck down with polio. after years of treatment they told them that I would never be able to walk.  My mum was the positive type and told them I would walk, and all through my early childhood she bullied me into walking, (in a kind way)  I wore full length calipes on both legs.  later I was able get down on one leg to a half calipe and then none, but the left leg was as useless, as a fart in a bucket.

I didn't go to school until I was six because I had spent nearly 16 months in Myrtle St Childrens Hospital in Liverpool, The school I went to was Dingle Lane Special School, which meant a school for disabled, or handicapped as they called then, not a word I like and I am glad it has gone, because its definition came for cap in hand, when the disabled had to sit at street corners begging.

I had a good time at the school and made some good friends, like Andy Sanchez, love to know where he is, Tony kehoe, lives in London with his gay friends, Tony tells me he is a screaming puff now, blimey we always knew something was different when we were all kids in the playground, playing cowboys and indians Tony used to put his coat around his waist and want to be a woman, the woman always got beaten up, no we didn't bully him it was playfull, we all liked him and would never let anyone bully him. other friends David Singleton, he is a foot and mouth artist these days and still lives in Dingle.  Jimmy Wright was one of my closest mates, we were always together through school and after we left school, but we ended up going separate ways, he was always in trouble with the law mainly car offences.

Basically I started playing drums, for a dare at a Polio party, a friend (Arthur Brindle) came up to us to tell us he was getting up to sing with the group Jokingly I said yea and I'll play drums, I was aged 15 at the time, well  we were called up and Arthur B chickened out, but I didn?t. The group asked, what did you want to play? And I said what is your next song, which happened to be the Barrett Strong number covered by lots of Mersey bands ?Money? I sat behind the drums and things felt right, there was a funny feeling inside me that I belong here!  the group said that was quite good and how long had you been playing drums, my reply "  How long does the Song last" That was my first time.

  I went home and begged my parents to get a set of drums, but they wouldn't believe me or my mate Jimmy when when he told them I had played , They said it would be impossible to play the drums in my condition,So that was that, I thought.

I left school at 16, I lived in Garston but had to get a bus into town to sign on the dole, that was the only dole for disabled in Liverpool, I wouldn?t mind the dole for youths was a 100 yards from my house.  I would go to the dole pick up my money and go and buy a Merseybeat album or single, I still wanted to become a pop star in a group, This one day saw this album by The Shakers the songs on it where ones I liked but I didn?t know this group but I bought it.

Took it home and put it on my Dansette record player, and what came out of that Mono speaker knocked me out, I so much wanted to play in a band then, as a matter of fact I wanted to play in that band, the Shakers were Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes. And 38 years later I did play for them, and Ted (kingsize) is now one of my dearest friends.

I got a job and E R Squibb in Speke, it was a Pharmaceutical factory, working there was Pauline Behan she was the receptionist and a nice girl her brother and dad also worked there, plus her auntie. Pauline was going out with and later married Gerry Marsden (Pacemakers). The job gave me a chance to buy more records of the Merseybeat Stars

 A year  later i met another old school friend Billy Burgess and he was starting a group (The Rapides) and they needed a bass player, and did I fancy learning Bass and this time I was successful, my parents got me bass guitar and amp from Hessy's  music store in Liverpool ( a Tuxedo bass and a Stanley Amp) Stardom was on the way

 I was learning this for about two months then I had an accident and nearly got electrocuted, I had a shock which threw me across my bedroom and through the wardrobe and if a friend (Tony Kehoe) hadn't been there to yank the wires out of the wall I would have been dead and that?s for sure

That was the Monday, on Saturday I did my first gig as a drummer at the Young Conservative Club Garston, backing a pianist and Star guest Jim Gretty.

Then went about trying to form my own band. The Pressure Points I recruited my mate Jimmy Wright, as vocalist, Greg Reece on rhythm from the Rapides, Peter Hulme bass from the Buffaloes, but he was much older than us and didn?t last, we went through a few different changes like Alfie Pendleton replaced Jimmy, Geoff Langley came in on lead gtr, a mate of Geoff's Mike Hurley joined in place of Alfie, he wanted to be the bass player, but after one gig we told him he was in group if he promised to never touch a bass guitar again, yeah it was that bad.

 The group was starting to take off we recruited a bass player from Huyton called Paul Lewis, and then a second singer in John Pendleton brother of Alfie, I still see John sometimes he has an electrical store in Widnes market.

A funny story I took the group back to my old school to play at a school reunion, and Mr Cox my old teacher couldn't believe I was on stage performing, he said " This is not the Arthur Davies that we couldn't put on the stage in school plays because he would feint who always had to work behind the scenes)

Another story while I was with this band.  We where playing a youth club dance can't remember the venue, and as usual I was right at the back, just in front of the back curtains, and my stool was drifting back, then suddenly I vanished through the curtains, it was a 6 foot drop behind the curtains, (but as I had trouble them days with my legs being weak, I had to strap my foot to the bass pedal, you know the kind of thing, those straps you get on the pedals of learning bykes.)  So as my foot was connected to the bass drum and I fell down the back the drums decided to follow me, I was lying there in I don't remember what with my drums on top of me, pity the was not a camera there that day.

 the band lasted for about under two years and then We all went our ways after a massive row outside The Metal box club in Speke . I tried in vain to get into a band but I never got as far as the audition, it was the same story everywhere they looked at me and thought he will be no good. Also around this my girlfriend got pregnant and at first our parents agreed about us getting married (remember you had to be 21 to get married without permission) then, everything went haywire parents disagreed etc, we even thought of doing what Mike and his girl did and run away to Gretna Green or something, but through the parent pressure we split. She had a lovely little girl Maria. So many many times I wished we had married, I looked for her so many many times and hit a brick wall every time.

 After that I became very bitter and disillusioned I had lost my one true love and and couldn't get into another group. My girl and music had gone, so I put the drums away and basically wasted the next two years the heart had gone out of me in so many ways.

Then one day two old schoolfriends Gerry kinsella and Bert Massie turned up and asked did I fancy  playing wheelchair basketbalI, I had never heard of it and didn?t at that time I could walk quite well with my calipes so they went away.  A couple of weeks later they came back to ask me again, so I did them the courtesy of going to have a look at Quarry Bank school (John Lennon fame) and that was that.

 I went into wheelchair basketball joining Liverpool at least I thought I would be more accepted at that, I was still bitter about my music and not being accepted,

Just after I joined the team I had my 21st birthday and I met my wife Kathy at Quarry Bank, and we ended up with the same problems with my parents, we split  And I found a new girlfriend Maggie  from New Cross , London of Scottish parents, So I moved to London on the spare of the Moment ,I had gone to Jimmy McKean's wedding, that was when I was introduced to Vindaloo Curry. I went out and got a job at Gamages and a flat in Forest Hills that all went flat and i returned home to Speke Liverpool my parents house for 2 months, Maggie came up to Liverpool and we got engaged, I later returned to London and took a friend with me Arthur Brindle and we got a flat in Brixton and I got a job with Swan and Edgars in Piccadilly and served a few stars who visited the store. Maggie and I had a big bust up and she threw the ring back at me, I often wondered what happened to that ring. What i didn't know was Maggie was pregnant, well she said she was, then said she wasn't  ?????????. It must have been a  bad time for her and her head mixed up and i wasn't there to help her through it all.

 I came back LIverpool and met up with Kathy again and to stop parents getting involved I took Kathy to London with Me  with our daughter Karen.where I was playing for South London Aces and then London hawks, Kathy didn't take to London so we headed back home, we got married on my 24th birthday with my parents sitting outside the register office trying to talk me out of it, they never came in I was 24 they didnt have the power over me no more, the law was then you only needed to be 18 to marry without permission, only wished they had brought that in 5 years before, I wouldnt have lost my first love.

When I came home I had a brief go at playing drums again with a group called Red Fire (Gibson James band ) Jimmy Major played in the Southport wheelchair basketball team with me and asked me to join him the band didn?t last that long but I had a chance of playing, after we split lead guitarist Pete Jones turned up and asked me did I fancy playing for Farons Flamingos Did I they were one of my favourite groups in the 60s, we did one pub and Faron sacked me, the Panda Footed Prince of Pxxxs, yes Faron you sacked me.

 Later I joined The Four Just Men for over a year which turned into Busway when we sacked the lead guitarist for his drinking habits, this band had many name changes becoming Used Notes then Liverpool Echoes  and quite a few members drifting in and out. When it split I formed another trio called Flashback with John kelman and Billy Good, bass  but once again drink ruined John and we got in Keith Hubbard and they sacked me. Keith didn't like the way I used to joke about on stage.

I had a bit of time away concentrating on my basketball by this time I was an Great Britain International, and the first British guy to score a winner against USA.

I formed a new trio with Jimmy cave and Billy Good called Renegade, it wasn?t bad musically but vocally it didn?t hit the heights, then one day Billy was telling me he met Lee Curtis and he was looking for a backing group, I said didn?t he think of putting us forward, he never thought, so I contaced Geoff Nugent of the Undertakers and he invired me down to their rehearsal with Lee to introduce, Lee came and seen the band on the Montrose and that was that we were Lee Curtis and the All Stars.

We made our debut on the Southport theatre and did many big gigs with lee over the year, at the end we split with lee becoming Roadrunner Keith Roberts had replaced Billy on bass, the biggest mistake we made was taking in a female vocalist, wife?s got jealous not mine

Keith left to be replaced by Arthur Roberts we did one gig with him and Jimmy left to join the Undertakers with Billy.  I formed another band called Luke Warm and the Radiators but after a year I quit because I was having loads of back problems and having to take 7 DGs just to sleep, so I sold my drums for next to nothing just to get rid, big mistake. 

Years Later I joined Merseycats just to be with the musicians even if I couldn?t play anymore, I had now become fully dependent on a wheelchair plus the weight was getting on the old midriff. Then one day we were doing a show at The Cavern we had a German band on, I was doing the merchandise table with Christine & Alan Taylor, I must have looked frustrated because Chris said you are missing playing are you not, which I admitted I was.

The next day Chris phoned me and asked if they would help get a new set of drums would I consider playing with Alans new group The Federals, I said let me borrow some first to see if I had still got it and it was just not hope.

The chairman of Merseycats loaned me a set and said he would sell me them.  I started rehearsing with Alans group but the old pains came back so I was thinking I can?t do it, then one day I went to rehearse without my calipes on, and that night in bed I realized I wasn?t in pain so that was that I didn?t care how hard it was to get on a stage I was never wearing calipes again. Alan?s band didn?t last so I joined The Tempos they come together just to do charity shows, but what?s money I was playing drums.

 Then one day I was at merseycats and Faron had turned up and everybody was asking was he going to start another Faron?s Flamingos, he said yes and that?s my drummer pointing at me, you could have knocked me down with a feather.

A Little funny story. I was watching the Merseybeat edition of Thank Your Lucky Stars one Saturday night, and was knocked out by The song "lets Stomp" by Lee Curtis. so monday I went to my local record store on the Monday Gullys by the old Empire Cinema in Garston.  But when I got there i forgot Lee's name and the name of the song, Mr Gully was always very patient and he played tons of records to try and find this song, the main one he played was "Shake Sherry" by Faron's Flamingo's, Naw that was crap and i didn't get my record, it took quite a while to get the record, but i also the next time bought Faron's record as well that time.

Faron has had many many health problems so he can?t really perform week in week out, but we have been together now for over 6 years with many different Flamingos, Faron says there are only really two Flamingos, us two. Faron changed my style of drumming into a more solid style and it has paid off for me, having stood in with Juke Box Eddies and a few times with Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes (see Dreams come True).

My wife left me 3 years ago saying she never really loved me, took 30 years to tell me, but on reflection I was in the same position because I lost the girl I loved in the 60s

I have been playing the game now for 36 years, and have represented Great Britain in that time. I have now retired as a player and have taken over Wolverhampton as coach.

Polio or not In the words of  Faron    I'M BACK TO SHOW YOU I CAN REALLY SHAKE IT DOWN.

That's right I am back to one of my first loves drums and Merseybeat, and have had the chance to back many of the artists I thought of as gods, The Undertakers, Earl Preston, Faron, Nicky Crouch The Mojos, the Del Renas, Karl Terry, Kingsize Taylor, so many I have to pinch myself. 

And now I am in contact with my long lost daughter Maria and her daughter Aimee, I may not be making money at what I do but whats money to happiness, my children are everything to me, Karen, Rosalyne, Scott, Grandchildren Dale, Jordan,Georgia, katerina, Bradley.

So Life has so many twists and turns hope my are for the better, I would still like to do something with my drumming before time runs out..

 Maria, a fitness instructor

 Karen, support worker

 Rosalyne, just had her third child

 Scott,plays forward for the basketball Greenbank Liverpool

and my long lost daughter I didn't know about Fiona has joined the family with her 5 children.

Grandchildren

 Dale, 17 training to be a beautician & hairdresser

Aimee. good at sports, like her mother can adapt to anything

Jordan, 11 also trains with my basketball team

Georgia,9 our wizz kid way past anything the school can give her.

 katerina, looking like she could follow Georgia never stops yapping, like georgia

Bradley. just born and already in charge.

I am so proud of them and love them all.

.

Faron and I Were ready to get back on the road, in a line up of The Big Three with Dave Blackstone another former Big Three member, so I am the only one who wasn't a member of this legendary trio, althrough i did sit in with Faron and Brian Griff Griffiths, at Merseycats doing a Big Three set, does that count.

But this came to abrupt end When faron had a massive heart attack .  Dave and I with Ritchie Ballard have done a couple of sets at charity shows dedicated to Faron and The Big Three.

I am the member of a couple of bands Wheels on Fire, with regulars Phil Ford and George Eccles, we have two girl vocalists Tanya and Fiona and bass players come and go.. I am also With Carol and The Memories a band that recorded "Tears on My Pillow" in the 60sthe Memories they recorded a record in the 60s "Tears on my Pillow"

Arty Davies drums

Hobbies, 60s music,collecting autographs, Indian Food

 MY FAMILY

Karen
Rosalyne
Scott Georgia and Karen with Jamie Carragher LFC 

Jordan Katerina
Dale Georgia

Bradley Aimee
Fiona
Jemaine & Kye
Jordan
Cherelle
Leonie

4th April     Pick Withers   drummer  Dire Straits

                  Barry Oakley   Allman Brothers

                 Gail Davies   Country singer USA

 9 th April    Phil Wright, Paper Lace

10 th April    Fred Smith   MC5 -Television

12th April     Joschka Fischer    German Foreign minister

                  Raphick Jumadeen  West India bowler 70s

14th April     Larry Ferguson keyboard Hot Chocolate 

                   Ty Grimes  drums Capt Beefheart

17th April    Jan Hammer  

                          Viscount Bridport

18 April      Catherine Maifitano  Opera soprano l

20th April    Craig Frost  Grand Funk railroad keyboards

21th April      Claire Dennis   film Director

22nd April    Carole Drinkwater (All Creatures Great and Small)  

26nd April     Stevie Nicks    Fleetwood Mac

27th April       Kate Pierson 

28th April    Marcia Strassman Actress

29th April    Reb Brown  actor    

30th April     Wayne Kramer,  MC5 

                    Perry King  actor

 Just some People Who Share my birthdate 13th April

Don Adams: 1923 (is 83 in 2006, 84 in 2007)
TV/Movie Actor, Comedian, Cartoon Voicist, TV Host, b. in New York City; Kraft Music Hall reg, Bill Dana Show's Byron, Get Smart's Agent 86, Check It Out's Howard Bannister; voice of Tennessee Tuxedo and Inspector Gadget; Don Adams Screen Test; many say 1926 or 1927 or Apr 19
Jack Casady: 1944 (is 62 in 2006, 63 in 2007)
HALL OF FAMER, Rock & Roll Bassist, of Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna, KBC Band
Lester Chambers: 1940 (is 66 in 2006, 67 in 2007)
Singer, Harmonicaist, Percussionist, of The Chambers bros
Bill Conti: 1942 (is 64 in 2006, 65 in 2007)
Conductor/Composer, Musician, Music Producer, b. in Providence, RI; RFN:William; Gonna Fly Now (Rocky), For Your Eyes Only, other movies & TV; some say b. 1943
Peter Davison: 1951 (is 55 in 2006, 56 in 2007)
TV Actor, of Dr. Who (the fifth actor to play the Doctor)
Jimmy Destri: 1954 (is 52 in 2006, 53 in 2007)
Rock & Roll Keyboardist, of Blondie
Stanley Donen: 1924 (is 82 in 2006, 83 in 2007)
Movie Producer/Director, b. in Columbia, SC; Singin' In The Rain, The Pajama Game, Charade
Tim Field: 1936 (is 70 in 2006, 71 in 2007)
Music Figure, of Springfields
Edward Fox: 1937 (is 69 in 2006, 70 in 2007)
TV/Movie Actor, English, The Day Of The Jackal, A Bridge Too Far, Never Say Never Again; James' brother
Eve Graham: 1943 (is 63 in 2006, 64 in 2007)
Musician, Scotish, RN:Evelyn May Beatson; of The New Seekers; some say b. Apr 19
Al Green: 1946 (is 60 in 2006, 61 in 2007)
HALL OF FAMER, Gospel Singer, Soul Singer, Music Producer, Songwriter, b. in Forest City, AR; Let's Stay Together; RLN:Greene
Page Hannah: 1964 (is 42 in 2006, 43 in 2007)
Actress, Daryl's sister; Fame's Kate Riley
Louis Johnson: 1955 (is 51 in 2006, 52 in 2007)
Rhythm and Blues Singer, Bassist, Guitarist, Pianist, Songwriter, of The Brothers Johnson
Horace Key: 1934 (is 72 in 2006, 73 in 2007)
Soul Singer, of The Tams
Wayne Lewis: 1957 (is 49 in 2006, 50 in 2007)
Rhythm and Blues Singer, Keyboardist, Songwriter, of Atlantic Starr
Roy Loney: 1946 (is 60 in 2006, 61 in 2007)
Singer/Guitarist, of Flamin' Groovies
Joey Mazzola: 1961 (is 45 in 2006, 46 in 2007)
Alternative Rock Performer, of Sponge
Brian Pendleton: 1944 (is 62 in 2006, 63 in 2007)
Rhythm Guitarist, Rock & Roll Musician, of The Pretty Things
Ron Perlman: 1950 (is 56 in 2006, 57 in 2007)
Actor, b. in New York City; Beauty and the Beast's Vincent the Beast, Hellboy
William Sadler: 1950 (is 56 in 2006, 57 in 2007)
Actor, Roswell's Sheriff Valenti
Saundra Santiago: 1957 (is 49 in 2006, 50 in 2007)
TV/Soap Actress, Singer, Miami Vice's Det. Gina Navarro Calabrese, Guiding Light's Carmen Santos, One Life to Live's Angelina Paredes
Tony Santini: 1948 (is 58 in 2006, 59 in 2007)
Pop Singer, of Sha Na Na; RN:Scott Powell; b. Aug?
Rick Schroder: 1970 (is 36 in 2006, 37 in 2007)
TV/Movie Actor, b. in Staten Island, NY; RN:Ricky; Silver Spoons' Ricky Stratton, The Champ; NYPD Blue's Det. Danny Sorenson
Paul Sorvino: 1939 (is 67 in 2006, 68 in 2007)
TV/Movie Actor, Opera Singer, Tenor, Chiefs, Rocketeers, Dick Tracy, GoodFellas, Reds, Law & Order's Sgt. Phil Correta, Nixon, Money Talks
Pieter Sweval: 1948 (is 58 in 2006, 59 in 2007)
Bassist, of Looking Glass, Starz
Jett Travolta: 1992 (is 14 in 2006, 15 in 2007)
Celebrity Son, Kelly Preston & John's son
Lyle Waggoner: 1935 (is 71 in 2006, 72 in 2007)
TV Actor, Announcer, Game Show Host, b. in Kansas City, Kansas; Rugged Rock Hudson type; Carol Burnett Show reg, Wonder Woman's Major Steve Trevor
Max W. Weinberg: 1951 (is 55 in 2006, 56 in 2007)
Rock & Roll Drummer, Bandleader, b. in South Orange, NJ; E. St. Band member; Late Night with Conan O'Brien bandleader of the Max Weinberg Seven-piece Ensemble
Samuel Beckett 1906=d.Dec 22, 1989 (was 83)
Author, Dramatist/Playwright, Poet, Novelist, Critic, Irish
Catherine de Medici: 1519=d.Jan 5, 1589 (was 69)
Queen, French, consort of King Henry II of France)
Rex Evans: 1903=d.Apr 3, 1969 (was 65)
Movie Actor, Frankenstein meets the Wolfman
Guy Fawkes: 1570=d.Jan 31, 1606 (was 35)
Attempted Assassin, executed for the Gunpowder Plot
Lawrence "Bud" Freeman: 1906=d.Mar 15, 1991 (was 84)
Jazz Performer, Tenor-sax, Chicago-Style jazz developer
Lowell George: 1945=d.Jun 29, 1979 (was 34)
Rock & Roll Singer/Guitarist, Songwriter, of Little Feat, Mothers Of Invention
John Hanson: 1721=d.Nov 22, 1783 (was 62)
Revolutionary, President, the first president of Continental Congress; first U.S. President under the Articles of Confederation
Thomas Jefferson: 1743=d.Jul 4, 1826 (was 83)
Attorney/Lawyer, President/V.Prez, Author, Philanthropist, b. in Shadwell (present-day Albemarle County), VA; 3rd U.S. President (1801-9); 2nd U.S. Vice President; Declaration of Independence writer; Univ of VA founder; on a $2 bill & a nickel
Howard Keel: 1919=d.Nov 7, 2004 (was 85)
TV/Movie Actor, Singer, b. in Gillespie, IL; Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, Calamity Jane; Dallas' Clayton Farlow; RN:Harold Clifford Leek
Alternative Rock Performer, of Red Hot Chili Peppers
Richard Trevithick: 1771=d.Apr 22, 1833 (was 62)
Inventor, British, inventor of the steam locomotive
Sir Robert Watson-Watt: 1892=d.Dec 6, 1973 (was 81)
Physicist, Engineer, Scotish, invented the radar, which was a major factor in the defeat of Germany in WWII; d. Dec 5?
Frank Winfield Woolworth: 1852=d.Apr 9, 1919 (was 66)
Merchant, created the 5 & 10 chain Woolworth's