Billy Hatton
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Billy Hatton | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Henry Hatton |
| Born | 9 June 1941 Dingle, Liverpool, England, UK |
| Died | 19 September 2017 (aged 76) Liverpool, England, UK |
| Genres | merseybeat |
| Instrument(s) | Bass guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1956-1980 |
| Formerly of | The Fourmost |
William Henry "Billy" Hatton (9 June 1941 – 19 September 2017) was the bass guitarist for The Fourmost.
Career[edit]
Hatton's first band was a country trio called the Drifters, who he joined at age fifteen.[1] Hatton joined The Four Jays[2] in September 1959. After changing their name to The Fourmost in 1962, they signed to Parlophone in 1963.[3] They had a number of hit songs in the 1960s such as "Hello Little Girl", "A Little Loving", "I'm in Love", and "Baby I Need Your Loving"; "A Little Loving" charting the highest at six.[4] Hatton left the band in 1980.
Hatton was a judge for the National Beat Group Competition in 1964, judging alongside Ringo Starr, Cilla Black, Brian Epstein, Alan Freeman, Betty Hale, and Linda Lewis.[5] Billy was a Fourmost member from 1959 to 1980, when he left the band along with Dave Lovelady and Joey Bower. In the later years of his life, Hatton worked on an autobiography with the help of Bower and Lovelady.
Personal life and death[edit]
Hatton was born in Dingle, Liverpool to Harry and Alice Hatton.[6] His childhood home was on 64b Beloe Street.[7] Billy received his first guitar on his eleventh birthday.[7] Hatton was asked first by John Lennon about his opinion of him hiring Ringo Starr as the new drummer for The Beatles.[8] Ironically, Hatton is infamously known for punching Lennon at Paul McCartney's 21st birthday party on 18 June 1963 for overstepping the line with a girl.[8]
At one point, Hatton was going out with Nicky Stevens of Brotherhood of Man.[6] In the years after leaving the Fourmost, Hatton mostly worked as a security officer in Liverpool but he often played with Dave Lovelady and Joey Bower as the band "Clouds" and later the "Original Fourmost", a band made after they lost the rights to the name "The Fourmost" to a tribute act.[6]
Hatton died on 19 September 2017, aged 76.
References[edit]
- ^ "A Guitar Bridge Too Far - Billy Hatton - Mersey Beat". www.triumphpc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ "History | The Fourmost | Vintage Retro Professional Band". The Fourmost. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ "The Fourmost - Bill Harry - Mersey Beat". www.triumphpc.com. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ "The Fourmost | Official Singles Chart". Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ "The Beatles Bible - Ringo Starr judges the National Beat Group Competition". The Beatles Bible. 1964-09-27. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b c Leigh, Spencer (2017-09-27). "Billy Hatton obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b "A Guitar Bridge Too Far - Billy Hatton - Mersey Beat". www.triumphpc.com. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
- ^ a b "Billy Hatton: 1941-2017". Confidentials. Retrieved 2024-02-01.