Johnny Hutchinson
Encyclopedia
Johnny 'Hutch' Hutchinson (born 18 July 1940 in Malta
), also known as Johnny Hutch, was a Liverpudlian
rock and roll
drummer
of the late 1950s and early 1960s, during the same time that The Beatles
rose through the ranks of British rock bands. Hutch's group, The Big Three
, were rivals of the Beatles, and his opinions of them were not the highest; one early remark he made was that the Beatles "weren't worth a carrot."
Feelings aside, Hutch sat in with them during a 1960 audition, keeping a beat until their then-drummer Tommy Moore could arrive. He also filled the gap later between Pete Best
's 1962 departure and Ringo Starr
's arrival (while he finished a residency with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes), in the weeks before their first EMI single session.
Following his success with the Beatles, manager Brian Epstein
signed up the Big Three. Their big-time career was limited, though, and the band disliked the image crafted for them by Epstein, parting ways with him in mid-1963. A year later, the Big Three disbanded, and Hutchinson retired from music.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
), also known as Johnny Hutch, was a Liverpudlian
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
of the late 1950s and early 1960s, during the same time that The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
rose through the ranks of British rock bands. Hutch's group, The Big Three
The Big Three (musical group)
The Big Three were a Merseybeat group from Liverpool. They are best known for their 1963 recording of "Some Other Guy".-Career:The Big Three evolved from a group called Cass & The Cassanovas, formed in May 1959 by Brian Casser as a trio comprising Casser , Adrian Barber The Big Three were a...
, were rivals of the Beatles, and his opinions of them were not the highest; one early remark he made was that the Beatles "weren't worth a carrot."
Feelings aside, Hutch sat in with them during a 1960 audition, keeping a beat until their then-drummer Tommy Moore could arrive. He also filled the gap later between Pete Best
Pete Best
Pete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
's 1962 departure and Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
's arrival (while he finished a residency with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes), in the weeks before their first EMI single session.
Following his success with the Beatles, manager Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
signed up the Big Three. Their big-time career was limited, though, and the band disliked the image crafted for them by Epstein, parting ways with him in mid-1963. A year later, the Big Three disbanded, and Hutchinson retired from music.