Legendary bassist and tuba player Herbie Flowers has played on more hit records than you’ve had breakfasts – well, Sunday breakfasts at least. Jeff Hemmings caught up with him ahead of his Brighton show

“I work as much as ever, but always try and do nice things – but it’s harder than what it used to be like. I might have got a phone call: ‘Do you fancy doing a new show, Hello Dolly, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, £18 a week, double bass and tuba. Eight shows a week?’ Done! That was how my life went. And then somebody asks: ‘Would you like to do a residency at the Danny La Rue Club, 10.30pm–4am. £18?’ I’d get home at 4.45am, get up at 7.30am, and be on parade for 8.45am as I was in the Air Force at the time. I might have to do the Queen’s Birthday Parade or play in the officers mess, then have a kip in the car on the way back to London, and start again…”
Born into a musical family, Flowers developed an interest in music from an early age. “When I went to school the only thing that interested me was aeroplanes, hence why I joined the Air Force,” he says. “But I failed the aptitude test and so I fell into music.” Read the rest of this article »