Star quality helps lift the curtain on a New Year of live entertainment at Nailcote Hall Hotel in January with a rare solo appearance by Hollies lead singer Peter Howarth.
For 20 years Howarth has been frontman of one of the UK and Europe’s most popular rock and pop bands, which boasts more hit records than The Beatles, including He Aint Heavy, He’s My Brother; The Air That I Breathe, Long Cool Woman; Here I Go Again and Carrie Anne.
Ahead of his much-anticipated Berkswell gig, he recalls how he came to join the famous band, which recently completely a 60th anniversary world tour with two of its original members Bobby Elliot and Tony Hicks.
“When I was a young lad and I was in a rock band called Sahara, I came down to London to find fame and fortune in the early 80s and we wanted to try out a keyboard player because it was basically a guitar-based band. The base player knew a keyboard player who came along and played with us for one night and there was nothing wrong with him, but we just decided we wanted to keep it guitar based after all. That chap was Ian Parker who has been with the Hollies for around 45 years and he is the one who, years later, recommended me for the Hollies gig.
“He originally called me about in 1997 but I was playing the role of Roy Orbison at the time. But I said if the opportunity ever comes up again let me know. Carl Wayne, former frontman of the Move, had stepped in but he tragically passed away with throat cancer and Ian contacted me again and we met up in a little hotel in the middle of London. I sang three of their songs on the Monday and then I was in Germany on the Friday doing a 40-minute set with them!”
He added: “It was an honour to be asked. It was funny really because I wasn’t really a fan of the band at the time. I knew them but it was my brother who was a huge fan. He couldn’t believe it when I was asked to join them.
“I didn’t appreciate the gravitas of it but it soon became apparent because the trouble with taking over a role in a famous band like that is that, no matter how good you are, you’ll never be as good as the person you’re replacing because they’ve created their own personal stamp.
“People get cross that you’re there and I got a lot of abuse. But the band is not about one particular person, it’s about Tommy’s guitar playing, Bob’s drumming and the harmonies and, of course, the songs. The people who come every year have come to accept the band how it is now and they have a great time.”
For the past 35 years, Howarth has written, recorded, played, sung and toured worldwide with a variety of artists ranging from Cliff Richard to The Who.
His time in theatres is something he looks back on most fondly, playing the role of Roy Orbison in Bill Kenwright’s Only The Lonely and Four Steps To Heaven at London’s Picadilly and Whitehall Theatres as well as around the UK.
It was also for his late friend Bill that he wrote the musical Robin Prince of Sherwood, and took on the role of the Sheriff of Nottingham in the West End and on tour, a personal career highlight.
“I absolutely loved it,” he said. “It wasn’t something I went looking for. The guy who originally played the lead in the show lost his voice – 30 songs a night and eight shows a week took their toll on him. Bill phoned me up and just said ‘Can you sing like Roy Orbison?’ And I said ‘no.’ And he said ‘but you can hit all the notes though, can’t you? Come and see me tomorrow.’
“So I went and watched him as he auditioned Orbisons and then after we’d seen everyone he said to me, ‘Right, get up there and sing Only The Lonely.’ I said ‘I don’t know it!’ So he told me to learn it. So I learned it and sang it on the theatre stage and then he handed me a script and said ‘Can you do an American accent?’ And I said ‘I’ve no idea.’ So we acted out part of a scene there and then. I read two lines and he said, ‘Right, you’re on on Monday!’
“I had about eight days to learn the show. It came to be one of most incredible things I’ve done. It was such a thrill. A very odd experience but one I do cherish. It was an amazing part of my life. The whole thing has been emblazoned on my soul.”
Today, Howarth, 64, enjoys success as the co-founder of the acoustic trio Frontm3n, formed with former 10CC musician Mick Wilson and Pete Lincoln from the band Sweet. He also continues to tour with his own solo show, Peter Howarth Unplugged and spends many months of the year at sea entertaining cruise ship audiences.
Reflecting, he said: “When I was a kid all I wanted to be was a professional musician, I just wanted to make a living doing music. I didn’t particularly want to be a superstar and never in a million years expected to be working in the West End. When things are going well it’s great. But when you’ve got a family to feed and the phone isn’t ringing, that’s when it’s not so clever.
“My parents were supportive. They weren’t showbiz parents but they were just happy for me to do something I enjoyed and they were quite impressed by the fact that at a very young age I was earning very good money doing it.
“I haven’t encouraged my kids to go into the business and actually have encouraged them more to go down the academic route but it has sort of backfired. Now they ask why I didn’t encourage them more to go in showbusiness!”
He added: “When I was invited to perform by my friend Sue during a rare gap in my diary, I couldn’t say no and I’m very much looking forward to it. The set will be a mixture of Hollies, Orbison and a few surprises.”
An Audience With Peter Howarth is on Saturday, January 11th at Nailcote Hall and also includes a three-course dinner and DJ until 1am.
Co-owner of the hotel Sue Cressman said: “We have been trying to get Peter at Nailcote for a while now so were delighted to secure him for January and know people are going to be in for a fabulous night of entertainment. A few tickets still remain.”
Bookings for this and a host of other Party Nights every weekend at Nailcote Hall can be made HERE
