Biography
Although recognition came chiefly through his role in the Notting Hillbillies, Brendan Croker had already established himself as a respected singer, songwriter, and session guitarist long before that affiliation and continued the work afterward. Yorkshire-born Croker drew from deep folk, blues, and country foundations, applying a lyrical stance that echoed Woody Guthrie while moving comfortably between blues in the manner of Van Morrison and American country across multiple decades. His extensive familiarity with and enthusiasm for American roots music, together with strong vocals and guitar technique, prompted occasional references to him as “the British Ry Cooder.”
Born August 15, 1953, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Croker first pursued sculpture at art school before shifting to music. In the late ’70s he partnered with guitarist Steve Phillips to form the blues duo Nev & Norris, which gained a steady following around Leeds. Phillips stepped away from performing in 1980 to concentrate on guitar building, prompting Croker to launch a solo career backed by an ever-shifting lineup usually comprising a second guitarist and bassist, collectively known as the Five O’Clock Shadows. His initial independent release, A Close Shave, appeared on Unamerican Activities in 1986 and included the single “That’s the Way All My Money Goes.”
That same year Croker forged two enduring musical connections. Leeds punk veterans the Mekons enlisted him as an auxiliary guitarist while transitioning toward their distinctive country-inflected sound on Edge of the World; he remained a deputy member through subsequent late-’80s recordings, culminating in the acclaimed Mekons Rock ‘n’ Roll (1989), and also joined the Mekons offshoot Sally Timms & the Drifting Cowgirls. The second link formed when Steve Phillips, by then building guitars for Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, drew Croker into an informal group Knopfler assembled for low-key pub performances of country-blues material. Originally conceived purely for enjoyment, the ensemble adopted the name Notting Hillbillies and featured vocal contributions from all three core participants, thereby introducing Croker to a broader audience.
In 1987 Croker issued Boat Trips in the Bay with an entirely new configuration of the Five O’Clock Shadows. The following year he became the first signing to Andrew Lauder’s Silvertone Records and delivered a soundtrack, created with Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher, for the British series On the Big Hill. His official Silvertone debut, Brendan Croker & the Five O’Clock Shadows, followed in 1989; the album introduced horns and strings, enlisted Eric Clapton and Tanita Tikaram among its guests, and featured Knopfler’s guitar on the single “No Money at All,” yet failed to match the commercial scale of Brothers in Arms. Also in 1989 Croker released the instrumental set Country Blues Guitar.
The Notting Hillbillies finally entered the studio in 1990, adding keyboardist Guy Fletcher and issuing Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time. The understated collection comprised largely country and blues covers, with Croker contributing the original “That’s Where I Belong,” several lead vocals, guitar, and harmonies. After Knopfler and Fletcher returned to Dire Straits, Croker continued alone, releasing the Nashville-recorded The Great Indoors in 1991 with appearances by Knopfler, Chet Atkins, and Tony Joe White. He subsequently collaborated with the Serious Offenders on the live albums Time Off (1993) and Made in Europe (1994). Additional ’90s releases included Redneck State of the Art (1995) and Three Chord Love Songs (1996). The Kershaw Sessions, also issued in 1995, gathered acoustic performances taped by Andy Kershaw, among them Notting Hillbillies material. During this period Croker supplied songs for John Mayall and Wynonna Judd.
He maintained a steady schedule of solo and band tours across Europe. In 1997 the Notting Hillbillies reconvened for concerts and benefit appearances, later playing occasional U.K. dates without returning to the studio. Croker toured Britain with Steve Phillips in 1998 and, a few years afterward, with Kevin Coyne. A retrospective, Not Just a Hillbilly, More Like a Best of Brendan Croker, appeared in 2000. In 2002 he reunited with Coyne for Life Is Almost Wonderful, on which Coyne sang all lead vocals. Brendan Croker died on September 10, 2023, while undergoing treatment for leukemia; he was 70.
Born August 15, 1953, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Croker first pursued sculpture at art school before shifting to music. In the late ’70s he partnered with guitarist Steve Phillips to form the blues duo Nev & Norris, which gained a steady following around Leeds. Phillips stepped away from performing in 1980 to concentrate on guitar building, prompting Croker to launch a solo career backed by an ever-shifting lineup usually comprising a second guitarist and bassist, collectively known as the Five O’Clock Shadows. His initial independent release, A Close Shave, appeared on Unamerican Activities in 1986 and included the single “That’s the Way All My Money Goes.”
That same year Croker forged two enduring musical connections. Leeds punk veterans the Mekons enlisted him as an auxiliary guitarist while transitioning toward their distinctive country-inflected sound on Edge of the World; he remained a deputy member through subsequent late-’80s recordings, culminating in the acclaimed Mekons Rock ‘n’ Roll (1989), and also joined the Mekons offshoot Sally Timms & the Drifting Cowgirls. The second link formed when Steve Phillips, by then building guitars for Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler, drew Croker into an informal group Knopfler assembled for low-key pub performances of country-blues material. Originally conceived purely for enjoyment, the ensemble adopted the name Notting Hillbillies and featured vocal contributions from all three core participants, thereby introducing Croker to a broader audience.
In 1987 Croker issued Boat Trips in the Bay with an entirely new configuration of the Five O’Clock Shadows. The following year he became the first signing to Andrew Lauder’s Silvertone Records and delivered a soundtrack, created with Dire Straits keyboardist Guy Fletcher, for the British series On the Big Hill. His official Silvertone debut, Brendan Croker & the Five O’Clock Shadows, followed in 1989; the album introduced horns and strings, enlisted Eric Clapton and Tanita Tikaram among its guests, and featured Knopfler’s guitar on the single “No Money at All,” yet failed to match the commercial scale of Brothers in Arms. Also in 1989 Croker released the instrumental set Country Blues Guitar.
The Notting Hillbillies finally entered the studio in 1990, adding keyboardist Guy Fletcher and issuing Missing...Presumed Having a Good Time. The understated collection comprised largely country and blues covers, with Croker contributing the original “That’s Where I Belong,” several lead vocals, guitar, and harmonies. After Knopfler and Fletcher returned to Dire Straits, Croker continued alone, releasing the Nashville-recorded The Great Indoors in 1991 with appearances by Knopfler, Chet Atkins, and Tony Joe White. He subsequently collaborated with the Serious Offenders on the live albums Time Off (1993) and Made in Europe (1994). Additional ’90s releases included Redneck State of the Art (1995) and Three Chord Love Songs (1996). The Kershaw Sessions, also issued in 1995, gathered acoustic performances taped by Andy Kershaw, among them Notting Hillbillies material. During this period Croker supplied songs for John Mayall and Wynonna Judd.
He maintained a steady schedule of solo and band tours across Europe. In 1997 the Notting Hillbillies reconvened for concerts and benefit appearances, later playing occasional U.K. dates without returning to the studio. Croker toured Britain with Steve Phillips in 1998 and, a few years afterward, with Kevin Coyne. A retrospective, Not Just a Hillbilly, More Like a Best of Brendan Croker, appeared in 2000. In 2002 he reunited with Coyne for Life Is Almost Wonderful, on which Coyne sang all lead vocals. Brendan Croker died on September 10, 2023, while undergoing treatment for leukemia; he was 70.
Albums