Profile of Bruce Welch on Famous Like Me

Bruce Welch is a UK guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.

Bruce Cripps was born 2nd November 1941 in Bognor Regis, Sussex, England.

He grew up with his Aunt Sadie in Chester le Street, Tyneside and after learning to play the guitar, formed a skiffle band called The Railroaders when he was fourteen. His schoolfriend Brian Rankin (later to be known as Hank Marvin, joined the group and they came to London in 1958 for the final of a talent competition. Although they didn't win, they joined with the members of other entrant bands and formed The Five Chesternuts with Pete Chester, son of comedian Charlie Chester on drums. in September 1958 Bruce and Hank joined The Drifters, later to become The Shadows as Cliff Richard's backing band. As well as success with The Shadows, Bruce also acted as producer for (among others) Cliff Richard and songwriter for his ex-fiancée, Olivia Newton-John. He also released a solo single Please, Mr Please, which was not commercially successful, even though the song has been covered by several artists since.

Among songs written or co-written by Bruce are Shadows' hits Foot Tapper and The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt, Marvin Welch & Farrar's Faithful and My Home Town, and Cliff Richard hits In The Country, Summer Holiday, and I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You)

He was the musical director of the West End musical Buddy.

Bruce plays occasionally with his second band, the Moonlight Shadows, a Shadows-style band with Colin Pryce-Jones from The Rapiers taking Hank Marvin's place on lead guitar.

Awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to music.

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