Biography

Johnny Kidd & The Pirates were a British rock ‘n’ roll band. Johnny Kidd (birth name Frederick Heath), lead singer and primary songwriter, signed a recording contract with HMV and released his first single “Please Don’t Touch” in 1959, under the name of Johnny Kidd with his backing band The Pirates. The classic line-up included Frank Farley (drums), Johnny Spence (bass) and legendary guitarist Mick Green.

In 1960, they released “Shakin’ All Over”, which topped charts and became their biggest hit. Though they never released a full-length album, they released more than twenty singles. The band dissolved after the death of Kidd in a car crash on 6th October 1966. However, the classic lineup reformed as an R ‘n’ B group in 1976 and would perform sporadic tours until their ultimate disbandment in 2010.