Jet Harris

Jet Harris, along with many of his peers, had originally found his way into the music business via the late 1950s skiffle boom which swept Britain. In 1959 he joined Cliff Richard's backing band, The Drifters. At Harris's suggestion, the band changed their name to The Shadows and Harris and the group shot to stardom becoming household names in the UK. Harris battled with alcoholism during his playing career which led to conflicts with fellow bands members. In 1962 disagreements within The Shadows marginalised Harris and he quit to pursue a solo career. After the heady days of The Shadows, Harris's subsequent musical career failed to live up to the artists' undoubted promise as an innovative and talented bass player. He did a variety of jobs outside the music industry although at one point joined The Jeff Beck group for a brief period. After being declared bankrupt in 1968 Harris sought help for his alcoholism and eventually began playing live shows again. In 2010 he was awarded an MBE but died just over a year later after a two-year battle with cancer.

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