I received a great email yesterday from reader David Danks relating to the great archive recordings of the Degville band and live music at The Crown pub in Brownhills in the 1970’s. I’m astounded at the huge level of interest shown in this topic, and the dedication of Peter Barker and others in preserving and recalling this hitherto forgotten scene deserves a much wider appreciation.
Please, if anyone else has any further recollections or ephemera from this fascinating period in Brownhills history, please don’t hesitate to contact me. BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.
Thanks to David for the photo and the lovely words.
Hi Bob.
Hope you are well.
I really enjoyed finding your web pages today. As a passionate jazz guitarist and lifelong friend of Paul Degville and his dear Dad and Mom, the information about the Crown was a joy to see (and hear)
I spent many many happy and musical times there in the mid to late 60s and before that at the Wheatsheaf in Walsall, which of course was the jazz guitar ‘mecca’ and where Paul ‘learned the trade’.
Quite a coincidence, it was only last year I came across an ancient photo of myself playing guitar with Paul at the Crown and a rare occasion when Fred played piano for a few numbers. I have attached the photo for you to see and what great musical times we all shared.
As often happens, I lost touch with Paul for many years but last year we contacted each other and spent a great day together going down memory lane and of course playing a few of the ‘old ‘uns’. I hope to see him again in the Summer at his new home in Malvern and knowing him and his Mom and Dad has always been very precious to me.
Take care and I send you my very kind regards
David Danks
Paul Degville and David Danks play together. Picture generously supplied by David Danks.
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Who’se the sax player?
hi brian,
it’s frank nicholls.
regards paul
srry brian, it’s ernie jones he also played sax.
Absolutely super, thank you, and please please keep them coming. To see my Grandad at the piano is great, and my wife says he looks just like me in that pic.
hi. they were great days i remember we were like sardines in a tin .. you had a game to get in ..they were great times and dont forget norman on the vibes hes was brilliant too..i have some recordings of the degvilles recorded when paul was interviewed on brmb with ernie jones on violin ..mike whitbrook
i have also got tommy burton interview on brmb with him singing lavender blue that went to the top of the jamacian hit parade wow what an entertainer he was one of the great midland entertainers,and have got 2 songs on dvd downloaded off you tube actually performing on pebble mill at one and 3 recordings of him in a pub a telling a few jokes..and i spllt my sides listening to him …also on dvd
Just heard the sad news from Cutty that Paul Degville died recently of cancer,
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Paul was my lifelong friend. We met when we were both 17. He taught me to play guitar and I followed him and Fred throughout their playing days at the Wheatsheaf and The Crown. I have fond memories of him and his family from those days and will miss him dreadfully. I have a momentum of those days however, the piano from the Crown, which I bought from Bill, the Bass player for a tenner. Paul Burgoyne
I have just read this Paul as my husband is researching his ancestory…what a small world Paul Degville is possibly his cousin and remembers going to see him with Fred at The Crown with his Auntie Ettie and I am Sandra Burgoyne.
Hi Sandra, It is truly a small world. Your husband may be related to my late friend Paul Degville, and with the name Burgoyne, you are probably related to me.
Regards,
Paul R. Burgoyne
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