The first great UK rock band were Cliff Richardnd the Shadows, hugely influential in their native country and a big big game changing band. Jet Harris (third from left in pix) was the bass player and the lynchpin.
He died on friday after a two year battle with cancer.
Sir Cliff paid tribute: ""Jet was exactly what The Shadows and I needed – a backbone holding our sound together. Jet will always be an integral part of British rock 'n' roll history. Losing him is sad – but the great memories will stay with me. Rock on, Jet."
Harris backed Cliff from 1959 to 1962, the Guardian reports: "The Shadows' first and most memorable hit was Apache, which reached No 1 in 1960. Over the next two years, Harris played on more top ten singles, including Man of Mystery, FBI and Kon-Tiki, before suddenly quitting the group in 1962. He later said that he'd "just had enough of sleeping, drinking, eating and doing everything together, day in, day out".
Among the many musicians Harris influenced is one John Paul Jones -who played in his succesful Harris-Meehan band.
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