Mike Berry

Distinguished from the similarly named Dave Berry active during the same period, Mike Berry rose to prominence as a pop and rock vocalist whose earliest success came through his place among the acts overseen by legendary producer Joe Meek. One of the most enduring singles from England’s pre-Beatles years, and a poignant homage to its namesake, his signature release “Tribute to Buddy Holly” showcased Berry’s commanding delivery. Born Michael Bourne in Northampton, England, in 1942, he grew up in London and first sang as a boy chorister in his local church during the early 1950s. When the skiffle craze arrived mid-decade, he took up the washboard and joined a neighborhood outfit known as the Rebels. He later shifted toward straightforward American-style rock & roll; by the opening of the 1960s he was fronting the dance band Kenny Lord & the Statesmen, whose set lists featured material by Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, including “Peggy Sue Got Married” and “Be-Bop-A-Lula,” respectively, both captured on a four-song demo the group recorded.

The tape reached Joe Meek, who was impressed by how closely the vocalist captured Holly’s timbre and phrasing. Meek approached the band and initially sought to preserve the existing lineup, yet the other musicians soon drifted away. He replaced them with the London-based Stormers, whose members included Chas Hodges on bass, Bobby Graham on drums, and guitarists Billy Kuy and Reg Hawkins. Michael Bourne, formerly billed as Kenny Lord, adopted the stage name Mike Berry; the Stormers were renamed the Outlaws, and the new aggregation began performing and recording as Mike Berry & the Outlaws. Their first effort, a Meek-selected track titled “Set Me Free,” was laid down promptly, after which Meek attempted to place it with a label. Decca Records A&R head Dick Rowe rejected the song yet expressed interest in the singer himself.

Rowe persuaded Meek to have Berry and his band cut a version of the Shirelles’ recent single “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.” Decca issued the cover at the start of 1961, coinciding with the arrival of the American original in Britain, and Berry’s rendition was overshadowed. Not until the summer of 1961 did he receive material that allowed him to demonstrate his full ability: Geoff Goddard’s composition “Tribute to Buddy Holly.” With the Outlaws replicating the Crickets’ instrumental sound and Berry’s vocal resemblance to Holly rendering the performance uncannily lifelike, the record scored an immediate success. British audiences held Holly in higher esteem than did many listeners in his native country, and the single climbed into the Top 20, maintaining steady sales for months. Its commercial ceiling was nevertheless limited when the BBC declined to broadcast the track on grounds of its somber theme, a period when numerous “death” songs already filled the airwaves.

Although the hit appeared to launch a sustained career, Berry’s next two singles failed to chart, leaving him effectively starting over by the following year. As 1962 gave way to 1963, a fresh Liverpool-derived sound began reshaping British pop. After those earlier misses, he returned to the charts late in 1962 with “Don’t You Think It’s Time,” which reached the British Top Ten just as the pre-Beatles era drew to a close. Another Top 40 entry, “My Little Baby,” followed in spring 1963. Around the same time he joined a package tour alongside the Beatles, demonstrating that he could hold his own with leading exponents of the emerging Merseybeat style. He also became one of the first artists managed by Robert Stigwood, then working under Meek, who assumed control of Berry’s bookings and, temporarily, his studio sessions. The arrangement proved advantageous, given Meek’s heavy workload and limited supply of strong songs for his roster.

Ultimately, shifting musical tastes and the ascendancy of groups over solo acts curtailed even Stigwood’s efforts. After 1963 the Outlaws, now featuring guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, dispersed into other Meek-associated projects such as the Tornados or session work. By mid-decade Berry found himself restricted to progressively smaller venues and releases. He moved into acting during the 1970s yet continued performing music, carving out a role on the nostalgia circuit while remaining rooted in foundational rock & roll. Commercial resurgence arrived in 1980 when “The Sunshine of Your Smile” returned him to the U.K. Top Ten, followed by further chart entries with “If I Could Only Make You Care” and “Memories.” That renewed visibility prompted him to revisit “Tribute to Buddy Holly” in a more personal arrangement two decades after the original. From the 1980s onward he balanced acting roles, including appearances in the final four seasons of the series Are You Being Served, with musical activities. In 2006 he issued the album About Time Too, recorded in Nashville with surviving members of the Crickets.