Biography
Born on 23 May 1942 in Bristol, England, Wedlock held a series of jobs in a youth employment office, a department store and the classroom before his rising profile as a comic singer and raconteur led him to turn professional in the early 1970s. The spirit of those lively appearances across Britain’s folk clubs, arts centres and colleges found its way onto discs released chiefly by smaller labels including The Village Thing, One Up and Pillock Produckshuns (sic). Yet it was a 1981 association with Elton John’s Rocket imprint that brought a seasonal Top 10 success with “The Oldest Swinger In Town,” a number long central to his live shows and one that Chris Newman co-wrote, produced and arranged, while its follow-up “Jobsworth” also received generous radio exposure. Such chart attention nevertheless remained secondary to a broader path that soon encompassed the Channel Four showcase Wholly Wedlock, a BBC radio series shared with fellow west countryman Acker Bilk, and a continuing role as a regional television presenter on programmes such as Bargain Hunters.