User:John Alfred Lovatt

John Alfred Lovatt born 11-11-1952 in Ramsgate, kent. Son of Reginald Lovatt and Violet Lovatt. Born the younger brother to Patrisha lovatt (now Davis),the younger brother to Brian Lovatt, and Older Brother to Gillian Lovatt (now Cairns). At school John acted in two school plays and liked the audience control and making them laugh. At home John was an avid electronics amateur making crystal radios sets and amplifiers to listen to the pirate radio stations,that were just of the Kent coast. After leaving school in 1968, being in dead end job after job finely John got an apprenticeship as a boat builder, but was disillusioned by the fact he was nothing more than a barnicall scraper, leaving that job he then got a job working for a local electronics music instrument firm for Vox Jennings and E.M.I. making vox ac30,50,100,150`s, Jennings 3 manual keyboards and the VOX Flying V Guitar. John Started as a wire-man installing the wiring looms in the Jennings 3 manual keyboards in this time as a Self-tought, Guitarist, John was the test engineer for the AC range of Vox amps. Outside of work John Played in local rock bands. The first, Called: Munty Scudge Maller Huller Mop Band. (traits of The Bonzo Dog Do Da Band.) they never gig`ed, but played for fun in Vinces Spains Shed, here he met big Jeff Rouse the drummer.(later to be drummer in Rico-shades rock band). John`s First Live gig, The Flowing Bowl Pub Ramsgate. In a duet( duo never named ) with Johnny Westlake playing 6 string electric guitar and John Lovatt on Electric bongos ( home made bongos with a microphone attached )the above duo did not last long, but the Gigging bug had bitten. In 1971 John was approached by Ricky Brown, an Elvis pretender, and joined Ricky and the Shades as Rythem guitarist, Ricky and the Shades Played all the local pubs clubs and were the first resident band at the Vangough Club/Pub Ramsgate ( many a band has played there since and still do to this day )