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The Black Hoods
L to R: Vic Cooper, Jim Walsit, Ken Hadley, Bill Gregory |
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in 1961-62, a group of airmen from RAF Feltwell formed an instrumental
band under the name of the Black Hoods.
Being servicemen, their careers as local musicians were short
lived, but youngsters from the village youth club will remember them for
their arrangements of old classics in the modern idiom.
La Paloma and Never On a Sunday to name a couple.
Among their performances were shared billing with The Blackjacks in
the British Legion Hall, Long Lane.
Bill later married Eileen McCoy a serviceman’s daughter and Vic who joined up with one half of The Strollers, after their disbandment to form the very successful Bruntones, later married Joy Butler whose father owned and managed The Wheatsheaf night club in Brandon. This was to be the base for a new band The Mandans, in which Vic teamed up with Dave and Glyn from The Blackjacks in 1965. Such was the incestuous nature of the music industry. They were called ‘The Black Hoods’ because they wore black hoods when on stage. They had to go to the pub in the next village at the interval so that they kept their identities secret! The photo is from their last gig when they played, for the first, last and only time without the hoods. |
Back to 'Times Remembered'. Or go to 'The Blackjacks'