English guitarist. 1941 - date
Not, perhaps the best-known or influential guitarist in the world, Hank Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin) was nevertheless one of the first guitarists to have a peer appeal to teenagers in the UK. Born in 1941 in Newcastle, he learned to play the piano, banjo and guitar as a youngster.
He began his career playing in skiffle groups in the North East of England, and moved to London in 1958 with Bruce Welch, with whom he worked for many years.
He is perhaps best known for playing lead guitar with Cliff Richard and The Shadows, with fat quitar twangs and a winning smile, his face was found in teen magazines and on bedroom walls all over the country. His influence was quite far-reaching - he had a great effect on the UK music scene, including greats such as Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. For teen parents, here was a pleasant-looking young man with no rebellion in him, and yet their children found something edgy in him and his music.
As to his fame, Cliff Richard's manager heard them playing in a coffee bar and invited them to play in Cliff's backing band, the Drifters (later they became known as The Shadows, to avoid confusion with the US band, The Drifters). After the Shadows split up in 1968 he and Welch joined with John Farrar to record as Marvin, Welch and Farrar.
He joined the Jehovah's Witnesses in Australia in 1973, before returning to a reformed Shadows, to enjoy further success throughout the late 70's and early 80's.