Bernie Calvert
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Bernie Calvert
| image = Bernie Calvert (cropped).jpg
| caption = Bernie Calvert (1970)
| birth_name = Bernard Bamford Calvert
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|9|16|df=y}}
| birth_place = Brierfield, England
| death_date = {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Musician
| instrument = Bass, keyboards
| years_active = 1960s–1981
| past_member_of = {{hlist|Rickie Shaw and The Dolphins|The Hollies|Bread and Beer Band}}
| associated_acts = The Hollies
Rickie Shaw and The Dolphins
Bread and Beer Band
}}
Bernard Bamford Calvert (born 16 September 1942) is an English former musician who played bass guitar with The Hollies from 1966 until 1981.{{cite web |url=http://www.manchesterbeat.com/groups/hollies/hollies.php |title=The Hollies at Manchester Beat |accessdate=30 January 2010 |work=manchesterbeat.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323154714/http://www.manchesterbeat.com/groups/hollies/hollies.php |archive-date=23 March 2018 |url-status=dead }}
Career
He worked with several rock and roll groups during the early 1960s, most notably Rickie Shaw and the Dolphins, where he worked with future Hollies members, Tony Hicks and Bobby Elliott. Originally a pianist, Calvert, on Hicks's suggestion, switched to bass.{{Cite web |date=2019-07-14 |title=Big Sixties Music Blog: Ricky Shaw and the Dolphins |url=https://bigsixties.blogspot.com/2019/07/ricky-shaw-and-dolphins.html |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Big Sixties Music Blog}}{{Cite web |title=Bernie Calvert |url=https://hollies.dk/member%20profiles/bernie%20calvert.html |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=hollies.dk}} Calvert was nicknamed "Bamf", which derived from his middle name, Bamford.
After the break-up of the Dolphins, Calvert played in a number of semi-professional outfits. However, unable to advance his musical career, Calvert took a factory job until he was asked to substitute for Hollies' then bassist,{{Cite web |title=The Genius of The Hollies {{!}} As Told By Abbey Road's Cameron Colbeck |url=https://www.abbeyroad.com/news/the-genius-of-the-hollies-as-told-by-abbey-roads-cameron-colbeck-3105 |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Abbey Road |language=en-GB}} Eric Haydock, in a tour of Scandinavia. After the tour, Calvert and the Hollies played on the Everly Brothers album "Two Yanks in England",{{Cite web |last=Visconti |first=John |date=2022-06-20 |title=When The Everly Brothers Met The Hollies |url=https://www.culturesonar.com/when-the-everly-brothers-met-the-hollies/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=CultureSonar |language=en-US}} and then on the Hollies' single, "Bus Stop", before returning to his factory job. Shortly after that, he was invited to join the Hollies permanently in 1966. In 1981, Calvert left the band after they started working with The Shadows rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch as their producer. Calvert had been omitted from a session from Welch, and decided to leave the band all together after a phone call with Terry Sylvester, who himself also spoke about leaving.{{Cite web |title=Long Road Home: The Story Of The Hollies |url=https://www.theholliesofficial.com/tour/2019/9-uncategorised/87-long-road-home.html |access-date=1 February 2024}} Sylvester left and Calvert followed a few days later.{{Cite web |title=Bernie Calvert |url=https://hollies.dk/member%20profiles/bernie%20calvert.html |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=hollies.dk}} Calvert never returned to music.
Calvert was friends with Mama Cass Elliot from The Mamas & the Papas. She flew Calvert and the rest of the band to Los Angeles for his birthday.{{Cite web |title=The Hollies :: View topic - Bernie Calvert Interview |url=http://forum.hollies.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=842&sid=98b28e2feaaea9aac4e2d1f6b980703a |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=forum.hollies.co.uk}} In early 1969, Calvert was in a "session supergroup" called The Bread and Beer Band, that featured Elton John, Caleb Quaye, Roger Pope, and Lennox & Rolfo.{{Cite web |last=Gaar |first=Gillian G. |date=2023-05-22 |title=Elton John discusses his collection of Jewels |url=https://www.goldminemag.com/interviews/elton-john-collection-of-jewels |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=The Bread And Beer Band LP 1969 |url=https://www.savethevinyl.org/the-bread-and-beer-band-lp-1969.html |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Save The Vinyl |language=en}} They recorded a single and album in February 1969. The single was released and the album was set to release in June of that year, but was shelved.
On 24 September 2009, the Hollies were nominated for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and were inducted on 15 March 2010.{{Cite web |title=The Hollies {{!}} Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame |url=https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/hollies |access-date=1 February 2024}} They were represented at the RRHOF ceremony by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Sylvester, Haydock and Calvert. Elliott and Hicks were unable to attend because they had a prior booking with the Hollies.
Discography
{{Main articles|The Hollies discography}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Hollies}}
{{2010 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Calvert, Bernie}}
Category:English rock bass guitarists
Category:British male bass guitarists
Category:English male songwriters
Category:People from Brierfield, Lancashire
Category:English rock keyboardists
{{UK-bass-guitarist-stub}}