Gerry Lockran
| Gerry Lockran | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gerald Cranston Frederick Loughran |
| Born |
19 July 1942 Yeotmal, India |
| Died | 17 November 1987 (aged 45) |
| Genres | Blues, folk blues |
| Instruments | Vocals, acoustic guitars (Martin D-28, Ovation Legend) |
| Years active | 1955–1982 |
| Labels | Decca, Planet, Waverley, Autogram, Line, Polydor, Allied, Planet, BML |
Gerry Lockran (19 July 1942 - 17 November 1987) was a blues singer, songwriter, poet and guitarist.
Gerald Cranston Frederick Loughran was born in the Yeotmal province of the central plains of India. He was the youngest of eight children, having three brothers and four sisters. His forefathers emigrated from Ireland to India around 1800, while his paternal grandmother was of Russian descent. His father Albert Loughran (known as Locky) was a Chief Inspector of Police in the Central Province of India. His mother, Lizzie Cranston, was born of a British father and an Indian mother.
He 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.
After the death of Gerry's father in 1949, the Loughran family emigrated to south London, England in 1953, following the sale of the family farm. He took up an apprenticeship at Kingston power station, qualifying after five years as an instrument engineer. 1963 saw the death of Gerry's mother, and also his marriage to Bobbi, whom he had first met in 1959. They had two sons, Jason and Jethro.
At the end of 1981 he suffered a heart attack and stroke after which he lost the use of his left hand.
He died on 17 November 1987, after another heart attack.
Lockran discovered skiffle music and for three years played in skiffle group 'The Hornets', at well known venues such as the Skiffle Cellar. Lockran also appeared at the Finsbury Park Empire, London with Wally Whyton and The Vipers.
Towards the end of the 1950s, Lockran met and become lifelong friends with two other young blues musicians: Cliff Aungier, another singer/guitarist and Royd Rivers, who played blues harmonica and 12-string guitar. Lockran and Rivers worked as a duo until 1963, playing live in pubs and clubs throughout Southern England, including the Red Lion in Sutton, Surrey which was one of England's first folk clubs.
In 1961, Lockran acquired the guitar he was most associated with: a Martin D-28 as played by his biggest influence, Big Bill Broonzy. Lockran continued to perform solo throughout the early 1960s, and his live work included tours of France, Germany, Italy and Sicily.
Fellow guitarist John Renbourn has cited 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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