The Beat Makers The unsung heroes of the Mersey sound

Anthony Hogan
In the late 1950s, a flourishing musical culture began to emerge in major UK cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London. This was particularly true in the Merseyside area, where an estimated 350 different groups were active, often playing ballrooms, jive hives concert halls and clubs. This new music became known as Merseybeat. Local author and historian Anthony Hogan has chronicled the fascinating and little-told stories of many of the characters from that era; the people and the bands who made a big contribution to the region's rise to rock 'n' roll prominence. The Beat Makers describes the often-overlooked black music scene in Liverpool and its importance to Merseybeat, as well as the amazing story of the Liverbirds, who became the first all-girl beat band, and Derry Wilkie, the black singer who fronted a number of different bands and was the first Merseybeat artist to play in Hamburg and to release a record along with the Seniors. And with chapters on the great names such as Ted Kingsize Taylor, Johnny Guitar and Geoff Nugent, The Beat Makers is essential reading for all self-respecting lovers of rock 'n' roll history.