In An Upstairs Room In Blackpool

By Brian Garnett

For me, it all began sometime after 1.30am on the 14^th of October, 1941 when I saw my first day of life.  It all happened in the Kimberley Hotel on Blackpool’s South Shore, in what, at that time, was the original dance floor converted to a maternity ward.  On the 2^nd of February 1942, in the exact same room, Graham William Nash was also born.

Like Graham, my family lived in Salford and my father was in the armed forces.  Graham’s Dad was in the Army, mine in the Royal Navy.

Our lives followed similar paths in that we both attended primary schools in Salford, our secondary education was at the Salford Grammar School for Graham, and just a stones throw away I was at the Salford Tech.

After leaving school I moved to Heald Green in Cheshire and joined a number of rock groups, finally ending up with The Vortex Five.  Likewise Graham had been in a number of groups, (always with his pal Harold Clarke, later to be Allan Clarke).  Finally Graham founded The Hollies and went on to bigger things.

I met up with The Hollies on many occasions as they were on the same circuit as some more notable groups of the time, the lesser being The Vortex Five. It was in the October of 1963, that the lives of Graham and myself were to cross.  Allan Clarke was in hospital having his tonsils removed and the last gig done by The Hollies, (at that time), was at the Kings Hall in Cheadle Hulme.  On the night Billy J Kramer did a few numbers and finally I was asked to to do a few standards.  I did a few Eddie Cochrane, Chuck Berry and Cliff Richard number,s which made my night.

Eventually I left England to live in Australia, guess what Graham left England and The Hollies, at about the same time, to move to the USA.  I did a little singing but Graham really hit the big time, forming Crosby Stills and Nash.

It was only after listening to a Graham Nash solo CD, “Songs For Beginners”, thanks Geoff, particularly the song “Military Madness”, that I realised the similar paths Graham’s & my life had taken. I established contact with Graham, who had just had his boating accident and asked him whether it was okay to set up a web site dedicated to him, his answer was yes and “The Authorized Graham Nash Web Site”  was born with the able assistance of  Geoff  and my son Karl.

It was during my regular contacts with Graham that we discovered our respective birthplaces.  Graham always takes time out to acknowledge any correspondence forwarded to him and also shows his appreciation to many who have contacted him by sending photographs, autographed by him.

I promised Geoff I would write this short, (I know very short), article for his site.  I hope through the efforts of many people that they can discover or re-discover, the music of Graham Nash, his obvious talent and that of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

That’s all folks and as Graham is oft to state, Rock On.

Brian.