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Many thanks to all who
sponsored Rich Francis in his Great Yorkshire Run for
John. Rich raised the worthy
sum of £811.54 for Leukemia Research.
Read
the Tribute in the Yorkshire Evening Post (back button to return)
John died in Frimley
Park Hospital at 10.30am on Friday 25 May 2007 after developing an
infection. He had been suffering from a rare bone marrow
disease which had completely wiped out his immune
system. He was a wonderful
friend and we shall miss him so much.
John,
whose wonderful voice was a crowd puller wherever he went, joined
the Leeds band, The Cherokees in 1962. He had many other offers
from bands iin the area but chose the Cherokees because he
said their lead guitarist (Tez Stokes) was the only one at the
time who could play the solo in Buddy Holly's "It's So
Easy."
He loved
the blues and was an ardent Ray Charles fan. His musical taste
included 1940s close harmony groups, 1950s singers and country and
western music from the early days.
But the
love of John's life was Rock ‘n’ Roll, the early numbers having a
very special place in his affection. He was a devoted Everly
Brothers' fan and up to a few weeks before he died was singing in
perfect close harmony, their favourite Everly numbers with fellow
band member, Leeds born Peter Morrison.
He came south in the
early 70s and has been a much admired figure on the Surrey and
Hampshire musical scene since then. In the late 70s/early 80s with
Dave Bower and Pete Morrison, he toured the folk clubs of
Britain as BMW, a close harmony group performing their own acoustic
originals with Howard Fulbrook.
"Good Rocking
Tonight"
Tez & John's
Elvis Night at the Bat & Ball 1998
On an unforgettable
Sunday evening at their local the Bat & Ball in
Farnham, in March 1998 John and Tez did an Elvis tribute - "Good
Rocking Tonight". The place was absolutely packed and unknown to
most of the audience, it was John's debut gig as a singer/guitar
player. For JWK he was somewhat nervous: that is until Tez's
first notes of the "Mystery Train" riff and then he was off
in true Woollard style. Tez's Scotty Moore guitar playing was
the perfect backing for John's voice, just right for the early
Elvis rocking numbers. The maxim for the evening's
playlist was - nothing after "Wooden Heart"!!
John was born in the
Headingly area of Leeds on 29 September 1942 to Kirby and Annie
when his father was a rear gunner for Bomber Command. His sister
Barbara and brothers Don, Roy and David survive him. On leaving
school in 1958, he joined the family construction company resuming
his building work after his professional musical career from 1962
to 1967 and continuing until illness prevented it in February
2007.
Mo & Tez first
met John and his then girlfriend Janett in 1961 and have been close
friends since then. He has left a great empty space in their lives
and also the lives of all those who held him dear. Pictured
above are NYPL at Farnham Music Day in 2006.
John
first met his wife Janett when they were at school. They married in
1964. Janett and their two daughters Linzi and Vikki survive
him.
JOHN KIRBY WOLLARD -
SINGER & FRIEND EXTRORDINAIRE
29 Sep 1942 to 25 May
07
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