'I grew up listening to his music': The Shields man with links to John Lennon

The South Tyneside musician was given his big break by John Lennon.

Looking back at Splinter

Bill went on to become one half of the South Shields duo Splinter and John Lennon’s death had special poignancy when Bill paid tribute to him in 1980.

Lennon had been gunned down outside the Dakota building in New York just days before Bill’s special words.

Almost a decade earlier the star had invited Bill, then a member of another South Shields-based group, Half Breed, to record the Lennon song, God Save Us, later released as a single.

Close links with another Beatle

Sadly he never got to meet his hero at the recording session as Lennon had moved to the US a short time earlier.

With Splinter, Bill was later to go on to forge a musical partnership with another Beatle, George Harrison.

George signed the duo to his Dark Horse record label, on which they recorded the hit single Costa Fine Town which was a homage to Shields.

‘His death shattered me more than Elvis Presley’s’

Bill said in 1980: “John gave me a step up the ladder. I think the whole world has an affinity with John Lennon. His death shattered me more than Elvis Presley’s.

“I grew up listening to his music and though we didn’t meet, I knew him through his music.”

Splinter also made the headlines 50 years ago this year when one of their records was banned in 1975.

A switch of the A side

The record was Drink All Day, a follow-up to their big hit Costafine Town.

But it contained a word which was deemed to be offensive.

In a response to the ban, the band members - with support from George Harrison, simply made the B-side of the single, China Light, the A-side instead.

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