John Richard Campbell was born at St Georges Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand on March 26th, 1947. His first day at school was at St Albans Primary, from which he moved quite soon to the newly opened Mairehau Primary School which was much closer to his home. He remained at Mairehau School until he was awarded a scholarship to Cathedral Grammar School as a newly inducted chorister in the famous Christchurch Cathedral Choir in 1955. He completed his primary education, and his third form year (first year of high school) at Cathedral Grammar before moving on to the blossoming Shirley Boys’ High School which was at that time in it’s first year as a complete school with an upper sixth form (now seventh form) in 1961 (the year The Shadows bit), and John soon became very keen to learn the guitar, having tried to hone his skills on a ukelele! At the time he was learning modern piano from local bandmaster Bob Bradford, and this provided him with a very good understanding of chord formations, soon to be a valuable part of his musical career in the yet-to-be formed band he would front. The picture shows John playing at the Shirley Boys’ High School leavers dance in 1964. A band had been formed during 1962 which featured a female vocalist Judith Turtill – who’s boyfriend Garry Mullholland was the rhythm guitarist – and included Garry’s brother Peter on piano, as well as Bob Barrett on drums, and Michael Robinson on bass, two members who went on to be part of the the soon-to-be “Detours”. Sunday nights would see “The Torments” playing at a local coffee club called “Friendship House”.
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Check out John’s other website:
http://penumbra.co.nz/