Freddie Fingers Lee
Freddie Fingers Lee (born Frederick John Cheeseman on November 24, 1937 in Chopwell , County Durham , United Kingdom ; † January 13, 2014 in Newcastle , United Kingdom) was a British rockabilly singer and pianist .
Career
Together with some work colleagues, Lee started his career as a guitarist in a small skiffle band until he joined Screaming Lord Sutch in 1960, initially also as a guitarist , from whom he got his stage name. Lee not only starred on Sutch's hit single Jack the Ripper , he also played the role of the prostitute, who is murdered by Jack, played by Sutch, during the performances. Lee was the pianist with Eden Kane , who toured with Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde . He was a studio musician with Alvin Lee , Ian Whitcomb and Twinkle .
In the Hamburg Star Club , Lee was employed as the pianist of the club's own band and thus had the opportunity to make music with some of his idols such as Sam Cooke , Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry .
In 1965, Lee joined Hurricane Henry and the Shriekers , the band of Ian Hunter , Miller Anderson and Pete Philips, and toured with a wild stage show. Here he showed handstands on the piano, played sequences with his foot and destroyed his piano at the end of the performance by lighting it or dismantling it with a chainsaw or ax.
In 1978 Lee appeared on the remake of the British television show Oh Boy! from Jack Good who made Shakin 'Stevens a star. From here he began to hide his missing eye under an eye patch that, next to the cowboy hat, would become his trademark. In 1980, Freddie Lee appeared in the musical documentary film Blue Suede Shoes alongside Bill Haley and Ray Campi .
Lee performed regularly at rock 'n' roll concerts in Europe. In 1993 he toured with Jack Scott and Charlie Gracie . With age he devoted himself more to country music .
Life
Lee lost his right eye as a child when a dart ricocheted off while playing with his father. During his time as a scaffolding worker, Lee taught himself to play the piano on his landlady's piano. According to his daughter, Lee loved to let his glass eye disappear unnoticed in the drinks of his interlocutors. In 2002, the meanwhile twice married and divorced Lee suffered two strokes which ended his stage career. At the time of his death, Lee was living in a nursing home, where he died of complications from pneumonia.
Discography
Singles
- 1977: Down on the Farm / My Buckets Got a Hole in It
- 1978: White Chrismas / My Mother
- 1979: One-Eyed Boogie Boy / I'm a Nut
- 1982: I'm Alabamy Bound / Joe Brown and Me
- 1984: Tom Dooley / Hold Me
- 1986: Chains / One Eye's Back
Albums
- 1978: Freddie “Fingers” Lee
- 1979: Ol 'One-Eye's Back
- 1981: Rockin 'with My Piano
- 1991: Born to Rock
- 1994: 77 Sunset Strip
Web links
- Obituary by Wild Bob Burgos
- Freddie Fingers Lee at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Freddie Fingers Lee dead at age 76 Ultimate Classic Rock , 20. January 2014
- ↑ Biography of the singer on rocky-52.net , accessed August 28, 2019
- ^ Obituary The Independent , March 2, 2014
- ↑ Biography on Rockabilly.nl , accessed August 28, 2019
- ↑ Freddie Fingers Lee in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- ^ Obituary for Vintage Vinyl Music , January 19, 2014
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lee, Freddie Fingers |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Cheesman, Frederick John (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British rockabilly singer and pianist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 24, 1937 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chopwell , UK |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 13, 2014 |
| Place of death | Newcastle , UK |