Cherokees on stage at Ventnor Winter Gardens, Ken Young on drums, Brian Sharpe hidden behind Graham Betchley and Crann Davies on bass
The Cherokees

Cherokees at Ryde Castle More classic sixties stories
Graham and Gwen Betchley interview with Vic King in 1995
The Cherokees perform Deep Blue Feeling from 1966 on
Vaguely Sunny - Isle of Wight Rock anthology CD, price £10 p&p
'Tremors down the backbone . . .'
The ice cracked under Ryde Arena's carpet covered rink when nearly 2,500 revellers attended the Tribute to Graham Betchley concert. The event raised £10,500 for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice in an extraordinary six hour marathon of music.
Graham's friend, fellow musician, Brian Sharpe, organised a night that few are ever likely to forget. Musically diverse, the evening celebrated the late musician's remarkable career. Audience and musicians alike got caught up in the buzz of it all. From teenagers still at school to those that jammed the Cherokee's 69 Club thirty years ago.
The evening began with a eleven song celebration of the twenty year musical partnership of the Sharpe and Betchley duo. Brian Sharpe opened by singing Buddy Holly's Well Alright and Dylan's She Belongs To Me. He was joined by guitarists Tony Young and Bill Gubbins for a Eagles songs. The songs included that old Sharpe and Betchley favourite Peaceful Easy Feeling sung with a passion by Brian Sharpe and Bill Gubbins.
Then Brian Sharpe brought Martin White onto a barstool. The duo performed a pair of classic Neil Young songs, Love Is A Rose and Heart of Gold like every word had a special meaning tonight. The acoustic duo expanded to a four piece with Gill and Pete Hogman adding vocals and mandolin to an emotive rendition of the Band's The Weight.
The acoustic section ended with Brian, Pete and Gill performing the Byrds Old Blue, the Band's Cripple Creek and Dylan's I'll Be Your Baby Tonight. A backporch bluegrass treat of banjo, mandolin, guitar topped by vocals as warm as a campfire.
The Invaders took the heat up a notch in a set of sure fire rock'n'roll dance hits. All around me the ice was crunching under the bopping feet. Original Invaders Keith Roberts and Pete Taylor drove the band with piston precision on bass and drums. Brian Wills left handed guitar playing stormed through vocalist Dave Hayden's renditions of Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Roy Orbison and Conway Twitty classics. Their version of Johnny Kidd's Shakin' All Over just froze time.
Between changeovers two original sixties DJs kept a platter of period singles coming. They were the Babalu's very own Malc Lawrence plus the man who made the Disco Blue and the Seagull Ballroom very much his own thirty years ago, Spike 'The Mighty Ruler' Davis.
The air was electric as the Cherokees began plugging in. The Island's first pop star Craig Douglas appropriately came to the stage to congratulate the bands' and the audience on a great night. He urged us to buy up the last remaining copies of the Graham Betchley tape which Island radio's John Hannam was selling at the back of the hall.
Double act MCs Lawrence and Spike recalled the years when the Isle of Wight's very own Beatles brought bands like the Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, The Nice and Status Quo to their 69 Club. Spike recalled the magical venues from the past including the Seagull Ballroom, the Winter Gardens and the Manor House. Each brought massive cheers from the crowd. The largest was reserved for when he asked "Who went to the Royal York?" "When the 69 Club closed," recalled Spike, "It had 16,000 members."
You might have cut the air with a knife at this point. Onstage the Cherokees waited for the off. Rod Taylor had joined them on keyboards. Crann Davies fiddled with his bass amp, turned to stand as solid as a sentry. Brian Sharpe waited patiently through the plaudits. Ken Young readied his sticks, grinning from ear to ear.
When the Cherokees kicked into the Beatles Revolution it was as if they had never left. As though Carnaby Street and pyschedelic rock were but yesterday. Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band personified. The wonder of the 69 Club recreated right before your ears.
I was just spellbound by the set. Ken Young just cracked me up. He was there driving the band with a big grin set across his face, playing drums like he was born to it. Crann stood pumping out great fat bass chords to drive Brian Sharpe's superb guitar work higher. On the far side Rod Taylor fitted the unit like a Texas T. His deep barrelled vocals set against Brian Sharpe's falsetto with his keyboards right in the groove.
From Revolution the Cherokees launched into the Moody Blues Ride My See Saw from the Moodies album In Search of The Lost Chord, an album I grew up with so you can imagine what a crack it was to be there watching The Cherokees perform it. Then they started in on the first of two Spirit songs. I had never heard Groundhog before. It was belly up and gorgeously funky. Rod Taylor's Leon Russell vocal chords and his lurching organ sat marvellously above the rocking rhythm section.
Brian Sharpe mentioned that Stevie Winwood was only fifteen when Spencer Davis recorded My Babe before wailing off into it at full pelt. This whole set was making all the lip synched, rush for the number one, raffle of Christmas radio absolutely redundant. Three numbers in and everyone of Isle of Wight Rock Archives was stood in awe in various parts of the auditorium. Never more so when Brian Sharpe introduced Spirit's Fresh Garbage.
I had only ever heard Fresh Garbage done live by one band. Way back in 1972 I heard the Cherokees do a blinding version in the smoky cramped confines of Ryde's very own Cavern Club, downstairs at the Prince Consort. Nearly twenty eight years later here they were with all the passion and off beat lope of the original right down to the jazzy Ed Cassady inspired middle riff. Rod Taylor's piano sounding like it had trickled out of some Topanga Canyon window. I needed a stiff drink real bad after hearing that one but I was'n't going to miss a bar of this set.
Between songs Brian Sharpe was introducing pieces of 69 Club history which at this point included a mention for a band who played there, Family and their demonic singer Roger Chapman. From Family's first album Music In A Dolls House the Cherokees went into a blinding rendition of See Through Windows. All this pyschedelia ran marvellously into spot on versions of the Hollies Look Through Any Window and True To You.
Where they might go next was anybody's guess but they turned the whole set around full circle with another Beatles anthem Hard Days Night followed by Neil Young's emotive Southern Man. I just had to keep pinching myself to see that I was not dreaming as four crafted musicians played it as fresh as the wind howling outside. Brian Sharpe's vocals and endless inventive guitar solos, Ken Youngs amazing fast drum play, Crann Davies stood almost motionless as the notes just fell under his fingers and Rod Taylor's keyboards and vocals broadening the whole sound out and across the rink.
After that the band became the pyschedelic Barron Knights turning Keith West's mid sixties masterpiece My White Bicycle into 'My Wife's Bi-Sexual' as only the Cherokees could. In essence if anyone needed a confirmation why the Cherokees were the Isle of Wight Beatles this was it. They were playing for, not at the audience. Ken Young was up behind his drums calling for a beer. When it came he duly raised the glass in a salute to the crowd.
Brian Sharpe gave us all more rock'n'roll history when he announced the next song by Del Hawkins as featuring 'Another fifteen year old, James Burton'. A belting version of Suzy Q before the set shifted back to a sixties classic Friday On My Mind.
This was the point that they did Anthony's Boy, I think, a song so beloved of the madcap dancing 69 Club crowds who had turned up again tonight. Once again it went down an absolute storm. The event had become like one big family gathering out for a good time as once the Cherokees had delivered every week at their 69 Club.
The final two songs were the funky closers of a set that might have gone on all night. Stephen Still's Love The One Your With followed by Leon Russell's Delta Lady. The Hogman's gave a lift to the choruses on this one when they came on stage to sing behind the performers. In 1995 Graham Betchley had told Vic King that the Leon Russell period of the Cherokees was one of his favourite times. It was no surprise to find that Graham Betchley had called his son 'Leon'.
No way this audience as going to let them off stage without an encore. When the Cherokees stepped back on stage to a heroes welcome the whole place turned into a gospel wailing body. The band tore into Argent's Hold Your Head Up like men possessed. The congregation was fired and so was the band.
When I went to thank Crann Davies just afterwards and he said "Makes you want to get up and do it all over again . . ." It sure did.
The Cherokees last played ten years ago in 1982 and ended offically a decade before that. Only Brian Sharpe and Graham Betchley continuing to play. This evening they all sounded like they left off just last week. I think we were all just awe struck by what they pulled off tonight. The grin that stretched across Martin White's face as he passed through the revellers spoke volumes.
The Flannagan and Allen of rock'n'roll, Lawrence and Spike, continued to spin records including that old scratchy Wootton festival favourite Amazing Grace and enough classics to guarantee them a spot on Isle of Wight Radio. Please.
After that it was left to Blue Moon to close the show. Brian Sharpe was back on stage again. Where was he getting his energy from? He had been here with the rest of the musicians since 1pm this afternoon endlessly pacing around as the roadies got to grips with the massive sound system. The bit the punters don't see. The dedication and professionalism that goes into presenting a show. Today must have been particularly gruelling for the musicians and roadies as they worked in this massive and then empty, frozen skating rink. It was now eleven hours later and Brian Sharpe was bouncing back on stage to raise the heat up even higher.
Blue Moon' let it rip rock'n'roll set put the seal on this musical humdinger of a night. Doug Watson had been pacing about like a caged bear dying to get behind the drums. When he did get those sticks in his hand he exploded like a shower of sparks while managing to sing at the same time. Keith Roberts planted booting bass lines. 'Pops' Nichols, not looking old enough to drink was playing rollicking keyboards throughout. The Professor, Dr. Martin Ford singing soda hop rock'n'roll love songs as if in a time warp. Right up centre of stage was Brian Sharpe still creating magic out of thin air with his guitar. Still singing his heart out.
The audience were right with them to the end. The Stones Honky Tonk Women closed it. Bo Diddley's Mona the encore before Brian Sharpe read a long list of thankyous that included the staff of Ladies Realm who had done a marvellous job selling tickets. An effort which had raised £9,500 for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

Brian Sharpe, he's played through every decade of rock'n'roll and he's still out there creating magic out of thin air
Unannounced, former 69 Club member, Henry Adams caught the mood when he grabbed the microphone to say: "I'm going to be in trouble with my missus for doing this but I've got to say Brian Sharpe you are a bloody hero . . .".
He was, no doubt about that. As Graham Betchley's son Leon acknowledged in a final emotional speech about his father. A speech which also praised his mum, Wendy who stood proudly at his side.
With the stage filled with musicians Brian Sharpe pulled the ensemble through Spencer Davis' Gimme Some Lovin'. The stage crammed with percussionists including Malc Lawrence on washboard. The ice under the carpet cracked and melting by the sheer warmth and exuberance of it all.
Mike Plumbley
The pure magic of 'Betch'
by Isle of Wight Radio's John Hannam
For well over thirty years Graham Betchley was a local legend, having sung with bands like the Invaders, Cherokees, Blue Moon and the ever popular Sharpe and Betchley. There was no doubt 'Betch' could have become a major pop star, he had a unique singing voice and an on-stage charisma that could have made him a household name. Fame was not high on the priority list for this delightful Islander. He was simply much happier singing for fun and staying close to family and friends.
Graham was much respected a superb and innovative pop singer, and a genial and admirable character, who was admired by everyone who came into contact with him. His hundreds of fans became more like personal friends. That was another of his great gifts - to make people happy in his company, whether singing or over a pint of beer. Many Islanders can look back and cherish so many nights of pure magic from Graham Betchley.
He was taken from us far too soon.
John Hannam
This dedication comes from the tape Graham Betchley - The Man & His Music, 1943 - 1997. Cost £5. Proceeds to the Earl Mountbatten Hospice. The tribute to Graham Betchley was recorded 27th April, 1997 from John Hannam's Isle of Wight Radio show. The music was selected from Graham Betchley's times with the Cherokees, Sharpe and Betchley and Blue Moon. The show's guests were Brian Sharpe, Crann Davies, Ken Young, Peter Taylor, Martyn Ford, Keith Roberts, Stu Brading, Doug Watson, Hughie Grayson, Michael Roberts and John Wheeler.
Graham and Gwen Betchley interview with Vic King in 1995
Cherokees at Ryde Castle More classic sixties stories
The Cherokees perform Deep Blue Feeling from 1966 on
Vaguely Sunny - Isle of Wight Rock anthology CD, price £10 p&p