Sadly, legendary guitarist Peter Bocking passed away last week at his home in Milnrow.

In the late Fifties when most guitarists were struggling with chord shapes Peter was wrapping his head and fingers around the neck of a guitar working on his solos.

His first band, the Jets, was formed in 1958 with friends John ‘Butch’ Mepham, Derrick Quinn and Joe Abrams; and was fronted by Johnny Peters. Being one of the earliest rock and roll bands in Manchester, rather than a skiffle group, they made a big impact on the local youth club circuit. In 1960 the band changed their name to the Fourtones and backed a duo that went by the name of Ricky and Dane Young, better known as Allan Clark and Graham Nash, who later went on to form the Hollies. 

Peter was a man of immense talent and determination and even in his teenage years he was seldom seen without a guitar in his hands. A regular in the music shops of Oxford Road he would be seen perched on a Vox AC30 amplifier with a Gretsch or Fender guitar across his lap effortlessly picking out complicated guitar licks.

A young guitarist watched amazed as Bocking played the bass line with his thumb while picking out the top line with his fingers. Astonished at his dexterity, the lad asked him what he was doing. “Flat top picking,” was the answer, “have you never listened to Chet Atkins?” The young chap shook his head, left the shop and found the nearest record store and a Chet Atkins album. The guitarist was Peter Cowap, a legend in his own right, who made a living from that style of playing, but to Peter Bocking it was just another style to master along with jazz and classical. The two men were very close friends until Peter Cowap’s death in 1997.

Pete Maclaine and the Clan were one of the top bands in the north of England in the early sixties, partly due to the talented, young front man, but Pete Bocking was also gaining a fan base of his own as young guitarists traveled from all over the North West to watch in awe. Around 1962 he bought a Barney Kessel guitar. Impressed by the master, his influences changed to jazz as opposed to the popular music of the day and it was at this point that he and Pete Maclaine parted company. 

The Pete Bocking Six had two saxes and a tight rhythm section. It became a band's band in which Peter could indulge in his love of jazz, weaving jazz riffs into the fabric of the contemporary songs the audience wanted to hear. He also slipped in the odd classic such as Take Five, made famous by the Dave Brubeck quartet. One can only imagine the thrill The Beatles had finding they were booked at the Oasis on the same bill as Pete Bocking.

By the early seventies Peter’s ability on the guitar was well-known and his skill as a reader opened doors as a session musician, and as backing for touring artists. In 1972 he landed the job of lead guitarist with Lonnie Donegan on his world tour. Peter was a long time admirer of Lonnie Donegan and regarded him as one of the most influential figures in British contemporary music. Peter traveled the continent and worked as far a field as Australia and the USA, including Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world. 

Peter suffered with arthritis in his spine from the age of 14 and has walked with the aid of a walking frame for many years. Thankfull, his hands were spared and with them his enormous talent, but his illness did cause him to curtail his aspirations in the music business. In the mid-seventies he made a decision, on health grounds, to move from popular music into the jazz field full time where he formed friendships with many well-known jazz and blues musicians. These were fruitful on a personal level if not a financial one. Even up until his death he practiced two to three hours a day, if possible. Never one to be complacent he decided to take up the seven-string guitar last year to add another dimension to his playing. An extraordinary man.

Peter had no family but will be sadly missed by all who knew and admired him.

Danny Hardman