Career
He began playing double bass in several bands, notably with the Lincolnshire based rocker Vince Eager (born Roy Taylor, 4 June 1940, in Lincoln). He switched to bass guitar, later joining The Wildcats, a backing group for the rock and roll singer Marty Wilde. A fellow Wildcat was the drummer and future Shadow, Brian Bennett.
Locking also played several other instruments, including clarinet (nicknamed the "licorice stick"), which earned Locking the nickname "Licorice". When Marty Wilde parted company from The Wildcats, they changed their name to the Krew Kats and recorded instrumentals with modest success. Bennett then left to join the Shadows.
In April 1962, at Bennett's suggestion, Licorice Locking was himself invited to join the Shadows to replace the departing Jet Harris. Stylistically, Locking had a solid "less is more" approach, which was the obverse of Harris's adventurous hard-driving style. The Shadows' sound changed as a result. Locking played on some of their best known tracks, including "Dance On", "Foot Tapper" and "Atlantis". He also played the harmonica in live shows and on his signature album track, "Dakota". He appeared in the Cliff Richard film, Summer Holiday.
After being in the Shadows for only eighteen months, Locking left to pursue his activities as a Jehovah's Witnesses. He briefly played with the Shadows again five years later while his successor John Rostill was in hospital. In more recent times Locking has been a regular guest playing at Shadows fan clubs across the UK and abroad. He also does occasional public gigs with Shadows style bands.
Some biographers credit Locking with having introduced Cliff Richard to Christianity by warning him of the dangers of spiritualism (Richard had reportedly expressed an interest in trying to contact his recently deceased father Roger Webb).
Read more about this topic: Brian Locking
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