Hank Marvin

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Hank Marvin (real name Brian Robson Rankin) was born 28 October 1941 in in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He started to play the piano and the banjo as a child, but hearing Buddy Holly converted to the guitar. He attended Rutherford Grammar School and made friends with Bruce Cripps, who is now better known by his stage name Bruce Welch.
Hank Marvin is best known as a leading guitarist to The Shadows. The Shadows became a tremendously successful band. The original 1959 line-up was Marvin, Welch, bassist Jet Harris and drummer Tony Meehan. Their first instrumental single as The Shadows was 'Apache', which had been written by singer/songwriter Jerry Lordan and voted single of the year.
Marvin has also had successful solo ventures as a musician, singer and songwriter. He wrote 'The Day I Met Marie' for Cliff and 'Geronimo' for The Shadows. Marvin helped compose the music for the films Expresso Bongo (1959), The Young Ones (1961), Summer Holiday (1963), and Finders Keepers (1966). He appeared in the films as well.

Hank has been identified by so many rock guitarists (of a sixties and seventies vintage) including Brian May and Mark Knopfler, as their inspiration.

In 2009, to mark the The Shadows 50th anniversary and "34346", the original Stratocaster is being reproduced in detail by Fender's Custom Shop in California.

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