Biography
In the summer of 1957, while still a seventeen-year-old student at London's Polytechnic school, Les Bennetts launched his professional music career as one of the elite lead guitarists on the British skiffle circuit. He joined forces with Alan Jones, David Russell, Winky Wimbledon, and vocalists Keith Larner and Roger Smith to create a six-man skiffle ensemble that turned professional before the year ended. Bennetts, Larner, and Smith then added Darrell Lyte, Roy Tobin, and Brian Gregg, forming Les Hobeaux and obtaining a contract with EMI's HMV Records label through Bennetts' signature on the group's behalf.
His exceptional guitar technique brought instant stardom on the rising skiffle scene. Alongside Denny Wright, Dick Bishop, and Jimmy Currie, Bennetts ranked among the handful of genuinely gifted soloists in the style, becoming one of the earliest players to experiment with electric amplification. Blending folk elements that contrasted with the jazz and blues leanings of Wright and Bishop, he developed a distinctive sound and stage presence that set him apart from the typical skiffle guitarist. Beyond his instrumental reputation, Bennetts was equally known for his unrestrained humor and habit of playing practical jokes, even in club settings where violence could erupt. According to skiffle legend Chas McDevitt in his book Skiffle: The Definitive Inside Story, Les Hobeaux once voted him out of the lineup, only to learn that his HMV contract made him the legal owner of the group name and recording deal, allowing him to replace the others at will.
He rejoined the band, which continued for another year, before moving on to Chas McDevitt's group for a period and then serving as lead guitarist and harmony singer for Lonnie Donegan, whose 1959 album Rides Again showcases his single-string lead style throughout. Bennetts toured England and America with Donegan and played an essential part in maintaining the skiffle king's popularity and competitiveness once rock & roll arrived in England. In 1959 he relocated to America for several years, running clubs in cities including New Orleans and New York, then returned to England in the mid-'60s to open his own hotel. Over the following three decades he worked as a boxer, coal miner, insurance salesman, screenwriter, talent manager, and dairyman. One of the most warmly remembered skiffle guitarists of the 1950s, Bennetts was arranging a comeback with the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group when he succumbed to lung cancer in 1995.
His exceptional guitar technique brought instant stardom on the rising skiffle scene. Alongside Denny Wright, Dick Bishop, and Jimmy Currie, Bennetts ranked among the handful of genuinely gifted soloists in the style, becoming one of the earliest players to experiment with electric amplification. Blending folk elements that contrasted with the jazz and blues leanings of Wright and Bishop, he developed a distinctive sound and stage presence that set him apart from the typical skiffle guitarist. Beyond his instrumental reputation, Bennetts was equally known for his unrestrained humor and habit of playing practical jokes, even in club settings where violence could erupt. According to skiffle legend Chas McDevitt in his book Skiffle: The Definitive Inside Story, Les Hobeaux once voted him out of the lineup, only to learn that his HMV contract made him the legal owner of the group name and recording deal, allowing him to replace the others at will.
He rejoined the band, which continued for another year, before moving on to Chas McDevitt's group for a period and then serving as lead guitarist and harmony singer for Lonnie Donegan, whose 1959 album Rides Again showcases his single-string lead style throughout. Bennetts toured England and America with Donegan and played an essential part in maintaining the skiffle king's popularity and competitiveness once rock & roll arrived in England. In 1959 he relocated to America for several years, running clubs in cities including New Orleans and New York, then returned to England in the mid-'60s to open his own hotel. Over the following three decades he worked as a boxer, coal miner, insurance salesman, screenwriter, talent manager, and dairyman. One of the most warmly remembered skiffle guitarists of the 1950s, Bennetts was arranging a comeback with the Chas McDevitt Skiffle Group when he succumbed to lung cancer in 1995.