Brian Locking (1940 – 2020)

Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking almost missed out on a successful 40-year career in music, which included 18 months in the legendary Shadows, by just one day.

Licorice, who lived in Harrowby Road, and went to St Anne’s, Spittlegate and Huntingtower Road schools, achieved worldwide fame when he replaced Jet Harris the Shadows’ bass guitarist.

During his time in the Shadows Licorice appeared in the film Summer Holiday and made his musical mark on the band – his harmonica featured heavily on the tracks Dakota and Bo Diddley.

However, it nearly did not happen when his Grantham-based skiffle band the Vagabonds went to London to seek fame and fortune.

Roy Taylor signed up with Parlophone to become Vince Eager, and Roy Clarke and Mick Fretwell returned to Grantham, but the ‘Lick’ decided to give it one more week to find work.

On the last day he was in London’s 2 ‘I’s coffee bar music venue, when he was offered an eight-week tour with Terry Dene, which led to him joining Marty Wilde’s Wildcats and later the Shadows.

He had just started with Adam Faith when he heard that Jet Harris was going to leave the Shadows and that he had first refusal.

His first gig was at the Queen’s Theatre, Blackpool.

Licorice’s decision to leave the Shadows made headline news, above the Beatles, in October 1963.

As a Jehovah’s Witness he found his religious commitment difficult with the constant touring of the band.

His beliefs influenced Hank Marvin and Cliff Richard, who revealed it was Licorice who first suggested Cliff read the Bible.

Licorice’s final gig with the band was the London Palladium in November 1963, although he returned for a three-week stand-in stint in 1968.

He also played for Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Brenda Lee, Joe Brown and Conway Twitty.

He got his nickname trying to muster a sweet sound from a black plastic toy clarinet in the back of the Vagabonds cramped tour van, when it was said he looked like he was chewing a stick of liquorice.

When the Lick left school his first job was as fireman and trainee train driver, standing on the footplate of trains shoveling coal, with British Rail based at Grantham Station.

After 18 months he left to work at menswear shop Weaver to Wearer on Watergate.

Licorice was born in Bedworth, and moved as a child to Grantham with his parents. He still performs at Shadows reunion gigs across Europe.

He died at his home in Wales in October 2020.