I spoke to Billy J Kramer about the music business, how it has changed and Oasis

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I spoke to Billy J Kramer about the music business, how it has changed and Oasis

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I still think that growing up in the Merseybeat era is one of the best times of my life. So much music and raw talent, which grew and grew.

Over the years, after I joined the showbusiness industry, I met so many of my idols. Cilla, Gerry Marsden, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, the list is endless.

There was however one guy I never worked with, or met, till years later.

And that was the man who gave us Do You Want To Know a Secret, Bad to Me, Little Children, I’ll Keep you Satisfied, plus many more hits.

Billy J Kramer, who used to be with the Dakotas. This good looking heartthrob was, make no mistake, part of the Merseybeat history.

I met up with the man himself the other week, to interview him. Now aged 81, it was a great interview for me as it brought back so many memories of those magical times.

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Billy was telling me that years ago someone stole his guitar. He couldn’t afford to buy another, so he had to start singing, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I wonder if the person that nicked it knows that? He spoke through the interview fondly of Brian Epstein, his manager, and of course The Beatles’ manager.

I asked him what he thought of the statue to Brian in Liverpool, and he said it should have been erected years ago. Mr Kramer is an interesting man, he’s very shy and lacks confidence.

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He’s always been like that. When I asked if he would mix with the fans after his gigs, he said that he would rather go for a quiet drink by himself.

This eventually turned into a drink problem. In the interview he talks about that period of his life in depth.

He realised years later when he was drinking bourbon at 8am that he had a problem. He was telling me he had found a book called the Courage to Change, and that made him realise he was an alcoholic.

He said: “I went to an AA meeting and still do to this day. I've been 40 years sober.”

Billy now lives in America, but comes home a lot to see his family, who are very important to him. The States gives him the opportunity to try different things, and that’s why he likes it so much.

He talked about the music business and how it has changed. And he certainly has an opinion on Oasis.

Well, he’s toured and worked with The Beatles so many times, he is entitled to his opinion. I was surprised when Billy told me that he hasn’t kept any memorabilia from his past.

After losing his wife he got rid of everything. Billy does a lot of The Beatles Fests in the USA, and is still recording.

I asked him, of all the things he had done, is there anything you would love to do again. To my surprise he said Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

I loved interviewing Billy, have a listen on my podcast - The Best of Pete Price.

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