Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Education Letter: The sixth Beatle

Your Views

Glenn Cooksley
Thursday 25 March 1999 00:02 GMT
Comments

TO ANSWER Roger McGough's question in the Education supplement (Passed/Failed, 18 March) "Where is Johnny Gentle now?", well last time I saw him he had reverted to John Askew and was working as a joiner in Bromley. I met him two years ago while producing a Radio 2 documentary on The Beatles' first tour, which took them to a number of Scottish dance halls in 1960.

Gentle was a few years older than the rest of the band and was nominated as driver of the tour bus. On one celebrated occasion he had to pull up sharp at a roundabout, sending the unfortunate drummer, Tommy Moore, hurtling into the front seat and knocking out a couple of his front teeth in the process.

Moore was taken to hospital but was dragged from his sick bed by John Lennon, who was anxious not to miss a gig.

John or Johnny still enjoys music, plays the guitar (sometimes publicly) and looks back fondly on his days in the industry.

GLENN COOKSLEY,

Whithorn,

Wigtownshire

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in