Chris Raynor

On hearing a fellow pupil friend play the Shadows’ “Geronimo” on lead guitar at a school concert aged 14, Chris was hooked by its sound. Fate was to play its part at the bank in which he worked after leaving school - he was to work alongside a guitarist from a local band. Quick to seize the opportunity he picked his fellow workers brains and within 18 months turned professional. He formed his first band called “Colours of Love” in 1968. After a stint of doing airforce bases in Germany with Derby based vocal harmony band “Our Dog Winston” , Chris was offered the job playing lead guitar for Billy. His memories of those golden years prompted him to write and dedicate a song to “My old boss and friend”. Aptly titled “The Paradise Song”, it is a heartfelt piece which sums up perfectly the loss felt at losing his dear friend.

Chris’s guitars include a 1970 Gretch Nashville, a 1967 Fender Telecaster, a very fetching pink paisley Fender Stratocaster and a Variax Semi-acoustic. Amplification is the trusty Vox AC30.