Colourful send off to Chipping rock and roll musician (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Colourful send off to Chipping rock and roll musician

5:13pm Thursday 19th May 2011 in Chipping By Chris Gee, Reporter

A ROCK and roll pioneer who died earlier this month had a colourful send-off in a Ribble Valley church.

Bob Johnson, 70, from Chipping, spent most of his life performing in bands and was well known on the Lancashire gig circuit where he performed for more than 50 years.

He founded Bob Johnson and the Bobcats during the rock and roll and skiffle boom of the 1950s and contributed to several other bands.

Bob, who was originally from Preston, was still performing in the weeks leading up to his death on May 7.

His son David, said: “Dad lived life to the full and achieved so much.

“He never stopped writing and performing music right up until the very end.

"In fact he performed his last gig along with co-performer and lifelong friend Phil Cool only a few weeks ago at Chipping Village Hall.

“He became so good at this that he only had to listen to a song a couple of times and the melody and lyrics were absorbed and retained.”

Bob became ill and was diagnosed with cancer while visiting relatives in Scotland.

He died with wife Leonie and his four children at his side.

Bob’s funeral service was held at St Bartholomew’s Parish Church, Chipping, today.

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