From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Tue Sep 24, 2002  1:18 am
Subject:  Born to Be With You : Mike Berry
 
MIKE BERRY

Born Michael Bourne, 24 September 1943, Hackney, London, England
(Some sources say Northampton)

In 1960, Michael Bourne was discovered by Joe Meek who immediately
signed him after hearing the uncanny resemblance of Bourne's voice to
Buddy Holly's on a demo of "Peggy Sue Got Married". Meek changed his
name to Mike Berry and found him a new backing band, the Outlaws
(who would soon feature a number of fine musicians including Ritchie
Blackmore and Chas Hodges and made several good instrumental singles
in their own right).
The first record for Mike Berry and the Outlaws turned out not to be the
Holly inspired rocker Meek had planned but a cover of the Shirelles US hit
`Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow' (Decca F 11314). Berry got the chance
to show off his Holly-esque voice when Geoff Goddard wrote the heartfelt
`Tribute To Buddy Holly'. Joe Meek was a tremendous Holly fan and he was
keen to have the song meet the approval of Holly fandom, going so far as to
preview the recording (followed by a live Holly tribute concert by Berry and the
Outlaws) for the Buddy Holly Appreciation Society. The Holly fans seemed
well pleased by the effort, as was Holly's own producer Norman Petty, and
the song peaked at # 24 in the UK charts in the autumn of 1961. Perhaps
the disc's ultimate compliment came in the form of an appreciative letter
sent to Berry by Buddy Holly's parents.
Berry's next chart success, coming after the disappointing showing of the
fine 'It's Just a Matter Of Time' was the Meek/Goddard composition 'Don't
You Think It's Time' which made it all the way to # 6 in the UK.
Unfortunately its success was not to be repeated and Berry soon jumped
ship to sign with Robert Stigwood, under whose auspices Mike recorded
a series of pleasant, if unmemorable, singles. Success eluded him, and he
ventured into stage / TV work (including a spell in an early London
production of "Hair" with ex-Savage Paul Nicholas). The seventies brought
more flop singles, a Continental hit with a re-recording of 'Tribute To Buddy
Holly', and regular roles in the TV series "Are You Being Served" and the
children's programme "Worzel Gummidge." One final skirmish with the UK
charts came in 1980 when 'Sunshine Of Your Smile' reached the top 10.
Since then, Berry has supplemented his stage/TV work with regular
appearances on 'nostalgia' package tours, occasionally backed by England's
primo instrumental combo, The Rapiers.