THE CROCKER BROTHERS

Bluegrass in the UK

The Crocker Brothers have been playing and singing bluegrass and early country music for more than fifty years. It's about time they got the hang of it!

John started out on classical guitar but when he was about twelve years old, brother David bought his first banjo and John started playing backup guitar and singing. The boys quickly got hooked on the sounds of Flatt and Scruggs and The Stanley Brothers. Shortly after discovering some of dad's old Hank Williams records, John got himself a fiddle and quickly grasped the basic techniques. Although still too young to drink anything stronger than flat lemonade, John and David soon became regulars at folk clubs in and around East Yorkshire. In 1971 John went off to the Cambridge Folk Festival to seek fame and fortune. After a short spell with a traditional English folk band, he and fellow band member Steve Nice formed Cockney Rebel. John underwent a painful operation to become Jean-Paul Crocker, playing electric violin and mandolin on the band's highly acclaimed albums: Human Menagerie and Psychomodo. In spite of his faithful fan, and the ever-increasing fame and glory, John finally came to his senses and swapped his electric fiddle for a D28.

John now spends most of his time writing songs and trying to forget everything that happened before 1974. He also wrote all the songs on both their latest albums: Originals Volume I and Originals Volume II. The material covers everything from traditional-sounding laments to highly original arrangements of heart-breaking love songs.

David is dedicated to mastering several instruments and numerous styles: bluegrass banjo, classic banjo, classical guitar, bluegrass guitar, electric country guitar (B-Bender and 'hybrid' picking), mandolin, fiddle, lap steel, Dobro and harmonica. Lately he has taken on the role of chief recording engineer and the band have been known to record all the tracks for an entire album in one evening in David's own studio. David has also played with Chris Moreton, Spike Woods and Dick Embery in The Cat's Cradle String Band. As well as a short stint playing banjo with Peter Rowan, David toured with various country bands for many years.

David is also a talented craftsman and violin maker as well as a serious painter who has exhibited at the Medici Gallery in London. Some of his paintings are featured on his personal website: https://www.crocker.me.uk

LATEST NEWS: The brothers are currently supporting Joe Crocker, a talented singer/songwriter and promoter. His gift for crafting original country songs has been successfully passed down through a complicated and messy process of genetic engineering.

John is also working on a revised edition of his sought-after guide: The Guitar in Bluegrass. The first edition has been endorsed by one of the UK's leading flatpickers and has been recommended to his masterclass students for many years. The new edition will include chapters on essential topics such as flatpick shape and thickness, as well as tips on how to play with other bluegrass musicians without losing the will to live.