Norman Chapman

Started by Bobber, Sep 06, 2005, 06:18 AM

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Bobber

Quote from: 1062Bobber, no, I haven't heard anything. I wanted her to check the entry on Norman Chapman in my encyclopedia for accuracy and add anything further she thought was relevant.

I forget to tell you all that Bill and Liverbird have been in contact after all.

62redux

it's good to see that piece of history --and norman's story--come full circle. Truth is good.  

lilian chapman

hi my uncle was Norman Chapman the drummer with the silver beatles, its nice to se him being remembered on this site, but i have to say that some of the ideas on here are wrong! he didnt move down south to be a teacher and sit and tell is students of his aventures with the Beatles! dont know where that came from! lol! , as he was quite a private man and didnt talk about the Beatles at all only if pushed, but would say its all in the past!,  8)

pc31

fill us in then lilly.....please???!!!

lilian chapman

hiya  what type of  things would you like me to fill you in with?

pc31

like what he did after he left for the service........was he not interested in music?or was it just a passing fancy....oh and welcome to the forums by the way...i hope you will join in other discussions as well...

Bill Harry

I have chatted with Norman's daughter and this is what I have written. I would like to know Norman's birthdate and also the date when he passed away, together with any other information which I don't have in this entry:

CHAPMAN, NORMAN. A Liverpool youth, who became a member of the Silver Beatles for a short time during the summer of 1960, shortly after he got married..
     When Tommy Moore left the group following a gig at the Jacaranda coffee bar on Monday 13 June of that year, the Beatles were desperate for a replacement. They were pondering over the problem one night while sitting in the coffee bar when they heard the sound of drumbeats from across the street. Almost directly opposite the Jacaranda in Slater Street was a picture-framing establishment. Norman Chapman worked there as a picture-framer and renovator, and played drums as a hobby, practising on a hire-purchase kit in the offices of the firm in the evenings.
     They went into the street, trying to find where the sound was coming from. They knocked on the doors of the National Cash Register Office and Chapman popped his head out of an upstairs window of the building. They offered him the position of drummer with the band. Chapman, an imposing six-foot-two in height, accepted the job. However, he only managed to appear with them on three Saturday night gigs at the Grosvenor Ballroom, Birkenhead, on 18 and 25 June and 2 July, before he was called up for National Service and was conscripted for two years in Kenya and Kuwait. In later years he was to say that he did not regret being

pc31

she was just here bill...she will be back...i hope you had a good holiday...and hope your health is great too...tell virginia hello for me....

pc31

look lilly...the BILL HARRY is here fill him in and he will print it for all the world to read...you could not ask for a better message bearer...

lilian chapman

 thankyou!  Uncle Norman went back to being a picture framer, i didnt really get to see much of him as i was only  young when he returned, but when i got older i did go to visit him in his picture framing shop in  Southport Merseyside, he was a very nice man and we would chat for hours about art.
i had not long left college and was going around looking for work as a costume designer/maker and hes was very interested in what i was doing, he gave me a 'standup'  art portfolio so i could show off my work better, and was full of advice,
like 'always having a second string to your bow' and having 'pot boilers'  eg  work allways on hand to sell to pay the bills,  as you cannot always rely on one type of job alone ! especially in the art business, and he was right too !
  i have tried to follow his advice and even now still studying! im a mature student on a BA hons course in applied arts  silversmithng!
my Aunt., his sister is still living in Liverpool, i will contact her and ask for her memories too!

pc31

thank you.....you are sweet...like i said bill is the man to tell,he knows a little more about history,because he lived it...i have to go outside and work on a car i bought...hopefully i can fix it...if not i wasted some money...lilly you could also tell us more about you...i know artists always have amazing stories...tell us one...

lilian chapman

by the way i was told Norman died of cancer of the hip and not lung cancer which is what his older brothers Henry and John died of.
Norman was the youngest of the Chapman family
consisting of Stan (my Dad)  and Henry (twins)
                   John
                   David(died young in a swimmiing accident)
                   Maria
                   Evelyn
                   Hilda
there could be an uncle that i havent seen for years and whos name escapes me!  

lilian chapman

oh  yeah i forgot to say Norman was a drummer in a dance band called the Saturated Seven, he was with them for many years!
i remeber seeing a foto of him in a frilly shirt huge dicky bow and velvet suit! soo 70's
ive not heard of Bill Harry
but i did used to live in a flat, in house belonging to  Alan Williams.
and even Alan said Norman was a brilliant drummer,  and it was a shame that he was called up!
How
       the line up would have been so different !
also if im not mistaken Norman used the name Dave now and again!
i have great memories of parties in the 80s at Alan and Beryl Willaims house being entertained by Bob Wooler and even having a wonderfull calypso, about me,   sung to me by Lord Woodbine!
it was weird to think i was with the same people who had brought the Beatles to light and had lost them too! and also people who could remember that my uncle was with the Silver Beatles!!!! as for years it was impossible for people to believe that this was the case!
i have had a very varied working life as ive worked in theatre, films and tv for the last 25 years
in the early 80s i worked making costumes for Arnold Schwarzeneggers first freature film Conan the Barbarian, meeting Arnie in his younger days  was fun he was a good laugh and had a great sense of humour!
ive worked with hundreds of famous people and have lots of anecdotes, where i love to tell people my stories , Uncle Norman was queiter and kept it to himself somewhat!

tkitna

This is fantastic stuff. Thanks so much Lilian. Please, stay around and tell us anything you can share. I'd be very interested in hearing it.

Its always better to have a story firsthand instead of reading it on the internet and hoping its true.

Oh yeah, and get that car fixed Marshall.

lilian chapman

ill see what i can 'dig out' ill ask my sisters as they can remember a bit more than me,as he was only 10yrs older than my eldest sister.
although i have heard a story of how some lads in a group that my Uncle was with came over to my Nanas house and where jumping on the furniture!  which was not very welcome at the time! and as far as im aware he was only with one 'group' then!  hmmm!