Johnny Brannigan

Johnny Brannigan aka Branny, Jonny B.  Born 24/04/1949 Wythenshaw Manchester, Uk. Pro Musician.
 
My family history is interesting my forefathers came from a very musical Romany (flamenco guitar and accordion) back ground which runs through my own close family.
 
I have played guitar since the age of 6 having lessons when I was 10 with Frank Johnson in Ashton Uner Lyne. Playing with pro musician from tha age of 13 very much in the style of Barrny Kessel, Joe Pass, this was long before the Beatles had arrived.
 
At the age of 15 (1964/5) I was playing in a band in Poynton called The Society with Ian Morris Guitar from Heald Green. Terry (tex) Flynn bass Poynton and Dave Coulter drums from Manchester. We remained together for 2 years playing youth clubs and around the Sth M/c area.
 
At the same time I was in demand for playing with touring bands as they arrived in the north and looking for extra musicians so they didn't have to haul people from the south to north (which became the very early days of a working session musician) hence worked for Long John Baldry, Zoot Money, Mike Cotton mainly at The Bamboo Hazel Grove, Bredbury Hall, various places in Manchester and Leeds.
 
By now Mike Cohens Toggery Five doing very well with my old next door neighbour and mate Paul Young:   Another mens shop in Mersey Sq was called Hallon started a band called the Hallons which I played in until they could find a perminent guitarist. At the same time was playing with a couple of guys out of Marple Bridge who called themselfs Jason and the Argonauts, plus doing a number of gigs with The Spots when they started to fall apart.
 
It was 1968 and by now my sisters band The Marios  who had been resident at LaBasola in Piccadilly very famous Italian night spot she was wanting to move on to more gigging and a upmarket resident gig: so now I joined her new band Romany Rye (named after the book by George Burrows and due to our family back ground).     From 1968 until 1971 remainded in the band with Pete Bocking and Ady Edlestone. We did thousands of gigs over that period many Jewish events, dances, weddings plus holding down the most important resident spot in Blackpool The Islander Market Street. It was the hub of what was going on in the town, it later became Brannigans.
 
We had already done several recordings and we could see the value in having are own studios. Having worked for Neild and Hardy in Stockport in the 2/4 track studio and now watching Pete Tatersal and Eric Stewarts making the move to Strawberry we bought the old Caroline studios in Poynton re named it Camel studios. In the 70s I took a break from performing and ran the Studios which saw the birth of The Mandala band and Sad Cafe.
 
Much later re joined the Romany Rye for several years we did many top of the market shows world cruises, T.V, top class resident work. I left in the 90s to work with many A list rock and pop people inc Michael Jackson, Dianna Ross, Tina turner, Britney, etc etc.
 
I am still working today song writer, producer, session player, ideas man and working with the highest grossing record seller ever on a block buster Las Vegas show to start in March 2011. Not bad for a scuffy kid from Wythenshaw.
 
This is a very potted version of events due to time and space there is so much more many more bands and people you will have to read the book Haha.