17 Facts About Jet Black

Jet Black last performed with the band in 2015, and officially retired in 2018.

Jet Black was a successful businessman up until the mid-1970s, owning a fleet of ice cream vans and an off-licence in Guildford called The Jackpot, which was the base for the early Stranglers.

Jet Black was the owner of one of the earliest home brewing equipment companies, at a time when home brewing was in vogue.

Jet Black's style was usually simple and jazz-influenced, although "Duchess" and "Down in the Sewer" are examples of Stranglers songs that feature more frantic drumming.

Jet Black performed with the Stranglers until 2015, with his retirement confirmed by 2018.

Jet Black's name is frequently chanted by the crowd at concerts.

Jet Black had no contact with Hugh Cornwell after he left the band in 1990.

Jet Black wrote a short book, Much Ado About Nothing, which detailed the riots in France which were blamed on the Stranglers' presence in 1981, and wrote a book in 2010 titled Seven Days in Nice about the same subject.

In March 2007, it was announced on the Stranglers' website that Jet Black was suffering from atrial fibrillation and consequently refrained from appearing with the band until he had recovered.

In mid-2008, Jet Black was again absent from several Stranglers gigs.

Jet Black played the full sets, which were approximately 90 minutes in length.

On 12 March 2012, Jet Black was taken to hospital after "falling ill" shortly before a Stranglers concert at the O2 Academy Oxford.

Jet Black was again replaced by Barnard during the gig.

The Stranglers' annual tour began in March 2013, with Jet Black playing the second half of the opening night set, drumming on 10 songs beginning with the distinctive Genetix drum intro.

Jet Black had by this time completely refrained from travelling outside of the UK with the band.

Jet Black did not feature at some subsequent gigs, but played half of the band's set at others where stage space would allow for the positioning of two drum kits.

Jet Black died from respiratory problems at his home in Wales on 6 December 2022, at the age of 84.