Wayne Adams profile:
i was born in Lambeth, London and my early youth was spent in battersea
(not the dogs home) and
what a great childhood i had there.
All the people seemed to be so close to each other,
me mum & dad were always working to feed us (got 3 brothers)but
was always happy.
Spent a lot of time over in plaistow (east ham) at me grandads..he had
racing pigeons & i always ended up muckin out for him, if he'd had a good day at the gee gees on a saturday i,d get pie
& mash from rathbone street market (Canning Town)
the downside was we,d walk there from grange road
a fair punch away..the pie mash at wandsworth rd
battersea was a bit better though...as i got a bit older (early teens)
i ended up working in me dads brothers greengrocers shop in balaam st,thats the street opposite the Abbey Arms in barking
road..& before i knew it i,d spent half me time as a runner all around the stalls & other grocers getting the prices
in so,s george (dads brother) could be cheaper (crafty eh!) good education for me though.
I,ve done a fair few jobs to earn a living over the years & if you'd
of said i,d end up as an entertainer i'd of laughed at you, (the old man always wanted me to be a vicar or piano player..he
reckoned that if your a vicar you only work on a sunday & spent the rest of the week havin tea & biscuits talkin to
the flock..& if you were a piana player you spent your life in the pub not havin to buy a drink or playing in resturants..eating
for nothin) howether my career started when i was over in chelsea doing a roof (ended up roofing) i got given an old piano
buy someone & took it home..eventually i drove lorraine mad with the noise..plus the people next door & she decided
to buy me keyboards so's i could wear earphones keeping the noise down.
About a year later i was invited to my mates uncles
house to a barbacue & asked to fetch the keyboards over as doug brazier
(the uncle) had a band on the go covering various music & they needed someone to do the keyboard bit for a dire straights
song (walk of life) i then joint the band...blah..blah..blah
We were having a party at a hall & the singer got brahms & list
so after giving him a clump i ended up having to learn to sing with about 5 mins notice.
I started my solo career about nine years ago with thanks to all
the boys who,d helped me learn a bit along the way (paul stroble me batterseaboy mate)
& an agent in sutton gave me a break with a few pub gigs (Roy gumble
promotions..thanks roy) so over the last few years have learnt me trade, always regreting the fact i did,nt start young as
it,s a nice job (most the time anyway) hence me & jukesy got together doing some sing-a-long nights..then became the barrow
boys..we are great mates most the time & we only argue over who's nicked who's fags whilst the other one is doing his
solo bit.
Over the past 5 years i,ve sang with bands..Orchestras..elvis (not the
real one) loads of Caberet nights.. girl singers..couple of big shows at Ceasers in streatham with live Orchestra.. Hilton
hotel..Cafe de paris..Plus Tenerife bits & bobs..even i've forgoten most of em! ...anyway if you get a chance come see
me & jimmy one night, we are a different kettle of fish & you can always fetch the grandparents cos they'll know some
of the songs (All of jims anyway..) kind regards wayneeee..
In the meantime have a listen to Wayne singing (as recorded in a dressing
gown..in the front room..at 9am in the morning)
