Since releasing their first self-titled LP on Bell in 1974, this rock ‘n’ roll revival octet from Leicester has spent 209 weeks in the UK Top 40 with 23 hit singles and ten hit albums.
A Teddy Boy caricature, Showaddywaddy made Sha Na Na look authentic by comparison. At the peak of their career, they had seven successive Top Five entries with rousing revivals of old 1950s rock ‘n’ roll songs.
Their UK hit singles included Hey Rock ‘n’ Roll (#2), Rock n Roll Lady (#15),Hey Mr Christmas (#13), Sweet Music (#14), Three Steps To Heaven (#2), Heartbeat (#7), Heavenly (#34), Trocadero (#32) and Under The Moon Of Love (#1), five of which were also top 40 hits in Germany.
The eighth album (and the last to feature the original line-up), Living Legends, was released by RCA without fanfare on 17 July 1983.
Vocalist Bill ‘Buddy’ Gask (who sang lead vocals on Showaddywaddy’s first hit single, Hey Rock ‘n’ Roll) passed away in 2011.
Bassist Al James died in hospital on Friday 17 November 2018, three weeks after suffering a fall at his Market Harborough home.
Bill ‘Buddy’ Gask
Vocals, bass, guitar
Dave Bartram
Vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica
Trevor Oakes
Guitar, harmonica
Romeo Challenger
Drums
Rod Deas
Guitar, bass
Malcolm ‘The Duke’ Allured
Drums
Russell Field
Guitar, keyboards, bass, banjo
Al James
Bass, guitar
