Created 1st February, 2019
 Ted
was born in Liverpool in 1903. He left school at the age of 13 and took
up employment with F. Brady and Company, a firm of local Boilermakers.
He served his apprenticeship there and remained with the company for the
next 47 years, working as a Boilermaker. He was respected by his
employers and his fellow workmen alike. He gained promotion to charge
hand, as well as being voted by his his chums to represent them as their
shop steward. In his spare time, Ted became the secretary of his local
Social Club, responsible for organising social events and concerts, as
well as arranging artists to perform in them. Whilst performing that
role, he was approached by a young singer named Billy Forde. At the
time, Billy was an apprentice with the railways but also singer in his
spare time with a band called the Coasters. Billy asked Ted if he would
manage him and his band. Billy believed that with Ted's knowledge of the
Liverpool clubland and with his contacts, he would be able to put them
forward for various gigs in the area. Ted was 60 years old at the time.
At first he didn't want to do it, but with Billy's persistence, and his
keenness to help the lads, he agreed to take on the role of managing
them. The first thing Ted did was to persuade Billy that he needed
a more arresting name than Billy Forde, so they toyed with various
alternatives and eventually settled on the new name of "Billy
Kramer". He then got down to the job as their manager, booking them
engagements at social clubs in the Liverpool area, but carrying on with
his job as a boilermaker with Brady's. Ted didn't ever put them on
contract or even charge them for what he did. He realised they weren't
making much money at the gigs he arranged, so he carried on managing
them for pleasure.
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After managing them for quite a while. they came to the notice of Brian Epstein who is of course famous for his management of The Beatles. Brian wanted to promote Bill Kramer and the Coasters to a wider audience, and on a national basis. Ted saw this as a wonderful opportunity for the lads and encouraged them to let Brian Epstein become their new manager. Brian offered Ted a £50 introductory fee, but apparently, Ted never did receive it. Shortly after the transfer from Ted, Billy recorded "Do You Want To Know a Secret?" written by Lennon and McCartney, and it became his first major hit single. Billy Kramer settled under the management of Brian Epstein, and Brian encouraged another change of name to the more familiar name of Billy J Kramer. However, it turned out not to be the life that the Coasters wanted so they returned to Ted and asked him to become their manager again, which he did quite willingly. Brian Epstein introduced a new backing group to Billy and launched them as "Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas". They went on to be huge stars.
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In 1963, Ted heard a young lad named of 14 singing and recognised he had great potential. His name was Graham Jennings .This time, with the agreement of the lad's parents, Ted signed him up with a 5 year contract. He introduced him to the Coasters and they became known as Chick Graham and The Coasters. That same year, Ted decided to give up his job with Brady's and became a professional pop manager. He managed to find regular work for Chick and the Coasters and pretty soon he and each member of the group were making £20 to £25 a week. Ted signed them up with Decca records, and they made a few singles. Their first was called "I Know" which wasn't at all successful. Their second single was "A little You" which also didn't do a great deal, but was later a hit for Freddie and The Dreamers. Sadly, the group had very little success and disbanded in 1965. |
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| Brian Epstein was undoubtedly the most successful manager of the '60's, but Ted was listed at the top, alongside the other important and successful managers and promoters. They were the creators of what was to become and is still known as "The Mersey Sound".. | |
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