John Watterson (Fake Thackray)

John Watterson, an adopted Yorkshireman, was born and grew up on the Isle of Man, which is where he first saw and met Jake Thackray in 1974. He recalls a performance by Jake which had the audience in stitches and also a chat with a very modest and self deprecating Jake at the interval – ‘a huge talent who earned a standing ovation and yet was happy to have a pint at the bar and didn’t really see what the fuss was about’. A business degree at Loughborough (‘my mum was stationed at Bletchley Park in WW2 and said Loughborough was quite nice’) was followed by a 30 year ‘accidental’ career in the laundry industry (‘I went to an interview in 1979 just for the travel expenses, and the buggers gave me a job!’).

On learning of Jake’s passing in 2002, John decided that the songs were too good not to be kept alive, so he set about learning more of them. ‘Before I had decided what to do when I grew up, it was time for my mid-life crisis. I told my wife, Carol that I wanted to give up the day job and sing Jake’s songs and she said – OK then – so I did!’

A short while ago John had the huge honour of performing at a memorial evening in Monmouth (which is where Jake and his family moved to) attended by Jake’s widow, Sheila, and two of their sons. ‘The scariest gig of my life – but such a privilege!’

John lives in York and has two sons, Chris and Alex, who come to heckle their Dad whenever they can.