Gerry Lockran was a British blues singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist.
18 Facts About Gerry Lockran
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Gerry Lockran was the youngest of eight children, having three brothers and four sisters.
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Gerry Lockran's forefathers emigrated from Ireland to India around 1800, while his paternal grandmother was of Russian descent.
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Gerry Lockran's father Albert Loughran was a Chief Inspector of Police in the Central Province of India.
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Gerry Lockran's mother, Lizzie Cranston, was born of a British father and an Indian mother.
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Gerry Lockran spent the earliest years of his life growing up on the family farm just outside the town of Damoh, and attended Wynberg Allen Memorial School in Mussoorie, a small village in the Himalayas.
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Gerry Lockran took up an apprenticeship at Kingston power station, qualifying after five years as an instrument engineer.
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Gerry Lockran died on 17 November 1987, after another heart attack.
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Gerry Lockran appeared at the Finsbury Park Empire, London with Wally Whyton and The Vipers.
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In 1961, Gerry Lockran acquired the guitar he was most associated with: a Martin D-28 as played by his biggest influence, Big Bill Broonzy.
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Gerry Lockran continued to perform solo throughout the early 1960s, and his live work included tours of France, Germany, Italy and Sicily.
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Fellow guitarist John Renbourn has cited Gerry Lockran as a key influence on his career: "He was a great player and a great guy who took me under his wing and gave me a platform".
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Gerry Lockran followed this release with Blues Vendetta in 1967, featuring "Jason's Blues", written for his three-year-old son.
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In 1969, The Essential Gerry Lockran was released, and he featured on the Blues at Sunrise compilation album with Redd Sullivan, and Dave Travis.
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Gerry Lockran recorded further albums during this period, Wun, Pinup with Henry McCulloch, Neil Hubbard and others, then Rags to Gladrags with musicians including Ronnie Wood, Mick Ralphs, Henry McCulloch, Neil Hubbard, Alan Spenner, Philip Chen, Pete Wingfield, Mel Collins, Bruce Rowland and Cliff Aungier.
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Gerry Lockran then concentrated on touring in Europe, performing in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France and Italy, working with blues harmonica players Matt Walsh and Walter Liniger, Hans Theessink and Ian Hunt, with whom he recorded The Shattered Eye and Total.
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Gerry Lockran never played guitar again, but turned to photography and poetry.
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Gerry Lockran took promotional portraits of other musicians including Ralph McTell, Cliff Aungier and the psychedelic indie-group Ozric Tentacles which featured Gerry's nephew, Paul Hankin on percussion.