[Rod Simmons]

Hi, my name is Rod Simmons, now a self-employed graphic designer working near Cambridge, England.
Two marriages and 4 daughters (2 adopted from China) later, I`m still playing guitar and teaching young kids the wonders of rock 'n' roll and a few chords!
Although you see me and Ron Sale celebrating Ron`s 60th birthday (see the picture in the Album section) we go back a long way together to the age of 5 years old, at school, and we have remained friends ever since. However, I first learned guitar when about 9 years old and early influences were Lonnie Donegan and the Shadows. We had a band at school which used to play mainly instrumentals after school lessons on Wednesdays, in an empty classroom. I then joined a local band (The Syndicate) as a semi-pro rhythm guitarist while Ron joined a separate band (The High Society) that eventually did a tour of Germany, including Cuxhaven. I took over lead guitar when our band changed names to Chuck & The Dyaks, playing rock and rhythm and blues. We supported lots of famous 60's bands including Joe Brown & His Bruvvers, Lulu, Screaming Lord Sutch, Small Faces, Manfred Mann, Jerry and The Pacemakers, Sandi Shaw, Emil Ford & The Checkmates. . . I could go on. A highlight for the band was to back Gene Vincent in 1964/65 with many gigs countrywide.The top gig was when we played in the Cavern Club in Liverpool with a live (interactive and synchronised even in those days) performance shown on French TV backing Gene and Petula Clark with Johnny Halliday and others performing in Paris.
I left the band in '65 to go to Art School. They toured Europe, I toured the art galleries!
I played in some other bands afterwards, including: The Tea Set (Blues) and Mixed Creed (Soul), but it never was quite the same as those early heady days of rock and roll and blues.
Recollections that still come to mind, despite advancing years, are travelling the M1 motorway, Jack's Hill Café (24 hour/We never close) on the A1 road near Stevenage where many bands stopped to eat greasy breakfasts and to see the sun come up. Lots of girls . . . some I lost my heart to. Gene Vincent in a corset and his girl carrying a crate of light ales (beers) for him at most gigs. Regrets: Only one, never seeing the Beatles performing live.

It`s great to see this website doing well!
All the Best to you Beat Fans of the 60's
Rod Simmons

[Ron Sale]

Hello Guitarists.......
One big mistake I made when our band went back to England after our tour of Germany was to sell my guitar, amplifier and bass cabinets. I had a great sound with my Fender Precision bass (late 50's/early 60s make), Selmer amp (50watt) with jumbo 18" bass speaker cabinet plus two Fender cabinets with 2x12" bass speakers in each. The guitar alone would be worth around $5000 US.
Rod has kept his great sounding 60's Burns guitar since those early days and says he will never sell it! I wish I had done the same.
Cheers

Ron sale