Johnny Kidd

Rock and roll, Musical Artist

1935 – 1966

58

Who was Johnny Kidd?

Johnny Kidd was an English singer and songwriter, the front man for the rock and roll band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. He was one of the few pre-Beatles British rockers to achieve worldwide fame.

Kidd was born Frederick Albert Heath in 1935 in Willesden, North London. He began playing guitar in a skiffle group circa 1956. The group, known as "The Frantic Four" and later as "The Nutters", covered primarily skiffle, pop and rockabilly. Simultaneously Heath was proving to be a prolific writer; penning up most of 30 songs in over three months. Heath's 31st song would prove to be the group's break.

In 1959 Heath and his band were given a recording test for their first single, a rocker titled "Please Don't Touch". A contract with HMV quickly followed and the group were then informed during the session that their name "Freddie Heath and the Nutters" would be changed to Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. "Please Don't Touch" would reach the low twenties of the music charts. Although it is not as well known as Kidd's later song "Shakin' All Over", it is a stand-out among other British rock songs of the time. Unlike Billy Fury or Marty Wilde, Kidd does not sing in an imitation voice of Elvis Presley or one of his American contemporaries. The song also bears a smooth harmony and contains no clear references to the rockabilly style.

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Born
Dec 23, 1935
Willesden
Also known as
  • Frederick Heath
Nationality
  • England
Profession
Lived in
  • Willesden
Died
Oct 7, 1966
Bury
Resting place
Golders Green Crematorium

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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"Johnny Kidd." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/frederick_heath>.

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