He was a drummer born in Malta who was the drummer for The Big Three which was John Lennon’s favourite band. They played regularly with The Beatles with him also standing in for Tommy Moore and Pete Best when they couldn’t play.
The Big Three got top billing at a concert with Gene Vincent in Liverpool and he turned down a 2 year contract with Johnny Kidd & the Pirates to remain with the band until they split up in 1962.
Cilla Black, who sang with The Big Three, said that he was The Beatles’ first choice to replace Pete Best and it is also said that Brian Epstein offered him the job and he turned it down. He approached Brian Epstein to get them a gig in Hamburg and they played the Star Club in Hamburg for a month from July 1962. He left The Big Three in 1964 and retired from music.
He died in April 2019 when he was 78 years old.
Here’s The Big Three performing at What’d I Say” at The Cavern…
Source:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Hutchinson
- http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-hutchinson-mn0001349029
- www.triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/bigthreestory3.shtml
- https://www.discogs.com/artist/1024993-Johnny-Hutchinson