 |
| |
| 1961
[age 17-18] |
| Like Gerry Marsden,
Bill Ashton began working on the railroad after leaving school (Schaffner
1983: 237). During his lunch hours, he and the Coasters (fellow Liverpudlians)
often played at the Cavern Club. He gradually takes over the role of lead
singer. [There is an associated story of a stolen guitar and the ousted
former singer.] Changing his name to Billy Kramer, Ashton seems to have
taken Cliff Richard as his model in that the name he chose avoids the
kind of clichéd stage artificiality of the time (e.g., Billy Fury,
Rory Storm, Johnny Gentle, etc.). |
| |
| 1962
[age 18-19] |
| Brian Epstein,
during his visits to the Cavern Club, notices Kramer's good looks and
offers to become his manager. One of his first actions is to replace the
Coasters with the Dakotas (from Manchester). Like the Beatles and Gerry
and the Pacemakers, Billy Kramer and/with the Dakotas are performers in
Liverpool at the Cavern Club and at the Star Club, Hamburg. |
| |
| 1963
[age 19-20] |
| In November,
he travelled to New York with Brian Epstein while the latter negotiates
the Ed Sullivan contract for the Beatles. Epstein also arranges a performance
for Kramer on The Ed Sullivan Show in December 1963 making him
the first of the so-called "British Invasion." |
| Epstein also convinced George Martin that Liverpool had yet another hit
maker. Martin seems not to have liked the voice and always double tracked
it to reinforce Kramer's breathy delivery. John Lennon suggested that
the addition of a middle initial would add sophistication to the name and distinguish
this singer from other Billies (Joynson
1995: 314a), and so, Bill Ashton completed his transformation into
Billy "J" Kramer. |
| 2 May.
"Do You Want to Know a Secret?" (Lennon-McCartney) [UK #2] |
| 1 August.
"Bad to Me" (Lennon-McCartney) [UK #1] |
| After the success
of these recordings, BJK and the Dakotas join the Beatles summer tour. |
| 7 November.
"I'll Keep You Satisfied" [UK #4] |
| |
| 1964 |
| Kramer and the
Dakotas made numerous appearances and tours in the year of the Beatles,
appearing on the major television shows of the era in both the US and
the UK. |
| 27 February.
"Little Children" [UK #1] |
| 23 July.
"From a Window" [appears on charts 23 July
and reaches UK#10 and US#23. |
| |
| 1965 |
| 20 May.
"Trains and Boats and Planes" [UK #12] |
 |
