Chris Curtis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Curtis
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Crummey
Born	(1941-08-26)26 August 1941 Oldham, Lancashire, England
Died	28 February 2005(2005-02-28) (aged 63) Liverpool, England
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Drums vocals
Years active	1960s–1970s

Chris Curtis (born Christopher Crummey; August 26, 1941 – February 28, 2005) was an English drummer and singer. He was most famous for being part of The Searchers, a popular beat band in the 1960s. He also came up with the idea for the famous rock band Deep Purple and helped form its first version, called 'Roundabout'.

Early Life and Music

Chris Curtis was born in Oldham, England, on August 26, 1941. When he was four, his family moved to Liverpool. There, he met Mike Prendergast at primary school. Chris taught himself to play the piano at home. He later went to St Mary's College, Crosby, where he learned violin, even though he really wanted to play the double bass.

In his late teenage years, after leaving school, Chris's father bought him a drum set. He learned to play drums in his free time. At this time, he worked selling baby strollers at a furniture store in Liverpool. Chris loved American music, especially Fats Domino. He also started growing his hair long, which became his unique style in those early years.

Joining The Searchers

In 1960, Chris met Mike Prendergast again. The Searchers, a band Mike was in, needed a new drummer. Chris joined them for a show and became the seventh member of The Searchers. He replaced their previous drummer and joined John McNally, Mike Prendergast, and Tony Jackson. He started using the name Chris Curtis after Tony Jackson mentioned it in an interview. He picked the name from a poster for another musician, Lee Curtis, to avoid using his real last name, Crummey.

Chris Curtis (second from left) as part of The Searchers in 1965

For the next six years, Chris was a very important part of The Searchers' sound. He helped create the band's special vocal harmonies with his unique voice. His voice blended especially well with Tony Jackson's higher voice. A great example of this is their song "Ain't That Just Like Me," where Chris sings the main part, and Tony joins in with the repeating chorus.

Besides playing drums, Chris added many other percussion instruments to their music. These included tom-toms, castanets, cowbells, bongos, and Spanish bells. All the band members took turns singing lead vocals. This allowed them to play longer and more often than many other bands.

The Searchers became very popular, almost as famous as the Beatles for a short time. They had international hit songs like "Needles and Pins", "Sugar and Spice", and "Don't Throw Your Love Away".

Chris wrote many of the band's original songs. He also constantly looked for less known songs by other artists for the band to record. He often found these "B-side" songs (songs usually on the flip side of a single) in record shops.

Chris was a very enthusiastic person, but he sometimes spoke his mind without thinking about how it might affect others. For example, he upset Ray McFall, the owner of the famous Cavern Club, by calling it "a dreadful place" that was "stinky and sweaty."

Chris often preferred his own company and didn't socialize much with his bandmates. Many people thought he was a genius. George Harrison from The Beatles even called him 'Mad Henry'.

Chris was a dedicated Roman Catholic. After playing late-night shows at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, he would often go to a convent church early on Sunday mornings. At that time, Chris had very long hair, which was unusual. He cut his hair when the band became popular, thinking it might help them sell more records.

While in Hamburg, Chris met his girlfriend, Annette Kuntze. She later moved to London to live with him. Annette took photos for some of the band's record covers.

Chris left The Searchers in mid-1966 after a long tour that included the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Australia, where they toured with the Rolling Stones. There were some problems during the tour, and Chris had become less reliable.

After The Searchers

After leaving The Searchers, Chris called his friend Klas Burling, who worked for a Swedish radio station. Klas invited Chris to Sweden to relax and get things sorted out.

When he returned to London, Chris recorded his only solo song, "Aggravation." Other famous musicians played on this record, including Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. Chris later said he used a "hard rock voice" for the song. Although he recorded another song, he never released another single.

In 1965, Chris had written and produced a song called "Snakes and Snails" for Alma Cogan. Later, Vicki Wickham, a producer for the TV show Ready Steady Go!, asked Chris to produce the sound for a special show about Otis Redding. She also introduced him to Tony Edwards, who wanted to work in the music business.

Forming Roundabout (Deep Purple)

In 1967, Chris contacted Tony Edwards again. Chris wanted Tony to be his manager. Chris moved into a flat in London with Jon Lord, a musician he had recently met. Chris told Jon Lord that he had an idea for a new band.

Chris's idea was a band with three main members: Chris, Jon Lord, and Robbie Hewlett. Other musicians would join them when needed, like people getting on and off a "roundabout" (a merry-go-round). Jon Lord said, "I left that party in a new band, Roundabout."

Chris arranged for a guitarist named Ritchie Blackmore to fly from Germany to meet Tony Edwards. This meeting went well for Blackmore, Edwards, and Lord. However, they decided that Chris, who was sometimes unpredictable, was not the right fit for the new band. They changed the band's name to Deep Purple. Their first hit song was "Hush", which Chris had been playing in Jon Lord's flat for months.

Later Years

After leaving the music industry, Chris Curtis worked for the Inland Revenue (a tax office) starting in 1969. He found the change difficult but stayed there for nineteen years. He retired early in 1988 due to an illness.

In the mid-1970s, he made some demo recordings with a producer in Liverpool. He also joined a band called Western Union, but nothing major came from these projects.

In his retirement, Chris was very active in his local church in Liverpool. He sang folk music and rock and roll to encourage younger people to attend. He also often sang with a karaoke machine at local pubs. Many people in the audience didn't know he was a famous musician from the 1960s. He enjoyed telling stories about people recognizing his singing from the pub when he was out shopping.

In 1998, he gave his first interview in thirty years to BBC Radio Merseyside. Later, he started performing weekly with live musicians for a charity called Merseycats. His driver for these evenings was Mike Pender's cousin, Michael Prendergast. However, Chris never sang his old Searchers' songs. In 2003, he gave another interview to discuss new Searchers' albums.

Chris Curtis passed away at home on February 28, 2005, at the age of 63.

Discography

With The Searchers

Studio Albums

Singles

Songwriting

• "No One Else Could Love Me"
• "Another Heart Is Broken (in the Game of Life)"
• "He's Got No Love"
• "I'm Your Lovin' Man"
• "Snakes and Snails"
• "Night-time" (with Sharon Sheeley)
• Travelers (Theme of Discovery Travelers)

Images for kids

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  Chris Curtis