Johnny Tippett

Left to right- Pete Ward, Dick Mason, Des Hopkins, Johnny Tippett, Jack Goodier and Roy Rogers
Picture dated 23rd Jan 1961, kindly supplied by Des Hopkins.

25/09/15 - Des Hopkins tells me that, "Sadly my old bandleader and lifelong friend from Stockport, Johnny Tippett passed away yesterday, RIP". Joe Silmon also told me and said, "Johnny ran a great band, that I first met when I sat in on the "evil tenor sax" in those days, at the Sportsman Restaurant, Market Street, Manchester. That was 1959, before the MSG -- which ran those sessions -- moved to Long Millgate. The line-up at that time, was Johnny (bjo); Keith Pendlebury (pno); Des Hopkins (dms); Pete Hartigan (clt); Alan Pendlebury [alternating with Pete Ward -- (tbn); Pete Rossi (dbs)].

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25/09/15 - Our dear old friend, banjoist/bandleader in the Jazz Boom of the 50s/60s, Johnny Tippett, passed away on 24th September 2015.

Johnny ran a great band, that I first met when I sat in on the "evil tenor sax" in those days, at the Sportsman Restaurant, Market Street, Manchester. That was 1959, before the MSG -- which ran those sessions -- moved to Long Millgate. The line-up at that time, was Johnny (bjo); Keith Pendlebury (pno); Des Hopkins (dms); Pete Hartigan (clt); Alan Pendlebury [alternating with Pete Ward -- (tbn); Pete Rossi (dbs)]. Alan and Keith Pendlebury had their own Jazzmen there on other nights. Of course, Johnny's boys were very popular and played many other outside gigs, in and out of Manchester, including the infamous Cavern that we all came to know. Johnny was also in Keith's band before Keith emigrated temporarily to play football in Canada.

One of the most jovial and friendly musicians on the local Scene, Johnny was a real mine of information about everything and everybody who played in Manchester, from even the days of the Manchester Revival (started round 1942-43, attribution in the NW, being disputed between Manchester and Southport). I would prefer to say that both cities share that attribution, or at least Frank Wilson (tpt), who occasionally played here in the 40s/early 50s with the Smoky City Stompers (formed by Harry Giltrap and Eric Lister, guitarist and clarinettist, respectively) might have been inspired to carry the Revival Flame to Southport. This is the kind of information that I couldn't have learnt without the help of Johnny Tippett and others from the ancient Scene.

He will be missed deeply by not only his family and close friends, but by those of us who are left from the old Jazz Scene. May I join all of you in offering my/our condolences to Johnny's family and close friends and associates. May his soul rest in the Peace of The Lord.

Joe Silmon-Monerri