My ukulele life began watching George Formby movies and moved on to Cliff Edwards albums. But when I found the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain my destiny was set. In 1989, at 16 years old, I joined the Orchestra and would go on to perform with them for 31 years.
From humble beginnings playing in pubs in London and village halls around rural Britain, we went on to become a professional touring band, and something of a national institution. We played sold-out shows in huge theatres all over Europe and as far afield as New Zealand, America, China and the North Pole on our “world tour with only hand luggage”. Highlights were our performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to name just a few.
This picture shows us at our very own BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. It was packed to the rafters with over six thousand people in the audience and we were told it was one of the fastest-selling Proms in history. To cap it all, more than a thousand audience members joined in with us to play Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ on their ukuleles.
My ukulele life began watching George Formby movies and moved on to Cliff Edwards albums. But when I found the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain my destiny was set. In 1989, at 16 years old, I joined the Orchestra and would go on to perform with them for 31 years.
From humble beginnings playing in pubs in London and village halls around rural Britain, we went on to become a professional touring band, and something of a national institution. We played sold-out shows in huge theatres all over Europe and as far afield as New Zealand, America, China and the North Pole on our “world tour with only hand luggage”. Highlights were our performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall, New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House to name just a few.
This picture shows us at our very own BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. It was packed to the rafters with over six thousand people in the audience and we were told it was one of the fastest-selling Proms in history. To cap it all, more than a thousand audience members joined in with us to play Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ on their ukuleles.
Many people held us responsible for the resurgent interest in the ukulele. Who can say? All I know is that the moment I met George Hinchliffe, Kitty Lux and the gang in the top room of a pub in North London, my life would never be the same again. As well as playing and singing with the band, I produced many of our albums and, like all of us, helped create the Ukulele Orchestra show and the sound that inspired such joy and devotion among its fans. The picture here shows me aged about 15 years old, strumming a tune with the founder of the Ukulele Orchestra, George Hinchliffe, and ukulele ambassador Ian Whitcomb, shortly before I joined the Orchestra.
After over thirty years performing with them I took the difficult decision to stop touring so I could discover the joy of staying in one place for more than a few weeks. It also meant that I could focus on making ukuleles. I’m incredibly proud of the act we built together and overjoyed that the Orchestra continues to go from strength to strength with a refreshed line-up. My time on the road with them all was one of the absolute highlights of my life.
