Lisa Anderson passed on the sad news to me that her dad, trumpet player Billy Nicholson passed away last month (September?). Billy, an excellent trumpet player was also a larger than life character as this memory from Lisa reminds us.
My dad, Billy Nicholson, a trumpet player and such a character, sadly passed away last month...
Paul Wappat made a cd which was recorded live for BBC Radio Newcastle for his dad Frank Wappat, the Radio Station's most well-known disc-jockey who was also a pastor.
Knowing my dad I know for a fact he deliberately got lyrics wrong on purpose as he was very anti-religious. He was meant to sing... "Look up, look up and meet your maker". My dad and pianist Eddie Farrow (both drunks!) sang " Look down, look down and meet your maker"! This was live on air! Poor Frank Wappatt nearly got sacked!
Lisa.----
Billy Nicholson was 88/89 when he died. I have fond memories of a couple of gigs I did with him. One was a NYE dance and Peter Jacobson was on piano. At the time, Jacobson was one of the leading jazz pianists in the northeast and was soon to become one of the best in the UK. I was terrified! "Don't worry" he said, "Have a couple of pints and you'll be fine". By midnight we'd had more than a couple and on New Years Day I had no idea whether I was fine or not!
Lisa sent me a video clip of Billy singing Please Don't Talk About me When I'm Gone at the funeral of his brother, the drummer Alan Nicholson - another legend! Sadly, I was unable to post the video in a legible form which maybe did Billy a favour!
RIP.
Lance.
1 comment :
We were playing a wedding reception gig, there was trouble at the door, Billy put down his trumpet, went down to the door, sorted out the troublemaker and calmly came back and resumed playing, he certainly was a one off! Great guy, will always remember him.
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