Born on 26 June 1942 Johnny Day started his musical career at the age of five, taking piano lessons with a Miss Johns in Arundel road Littlehampton, he recalls even at that tender age he would often be reprimanded with a smack on the hands with a ruler for “Jazzing up” Mozart and Rachmaninov, although he did learn to read music he would often revert to playing from memory with the addition or course of his own interpretation on the Written work.

His music lessons continued via various tutors until when at the age of eleven, when during a gym exercise at school a smashed elbow put a sudden stop; to any more piano instructions, he was rushed off to hospital where a number of bone splinters were removed.
While at his secondary school he joined the school skiffle group called the “Rockets” the group would often play at local events playing a mixture of skiffle and rock and roll numbers, as a piano was a bit awkward to lug around, he took to playing the “Tea chest Double bass” the groups top achievement was winning a Local talent content at the “Pavilion” on the sea front in Littlehampton with a rendition of “A white sports coat (and a Pink Carnation)" an old Marty Robbins song from 1957.

Still at school Johnny would often attend the local Labour club with his friend Frank Sumner where he would play the piano or the drums during the half time Bingo break, After leaving school at the tender age of fifteen Johnny continued to entertain on the piano at local pubs around the area, he and Frank formed a comedy duo called Frankie & Johnny and performed at local village halls along with a company of amateur artists.

In the meantime Frank had taken on the challenge as a manager for a pop group from Worthing called “The Mystics” Frank persuaded Johnny to get a organ so he could join the group, not having too much money of his own Johnny convinced his father that this was what he wanted and although his father was no fan of Johnny’s musical career he wanted Johnny to get “A proper job” with a pension he gave in to his sons plea’s and so Johnny joined “The Mystics”

The group now called “The Swinging Saxons” went on working from gig to gig including the labour club where Johnny had performed while still at school, before very long that small town group turned professional to enable them to travel to France and Germany working on American air force camps.

This was to prove a great success for the group making, a year later another return to Germany, while in France Johnny picked up a little of the language enough to introduce the band each time they played outside from the Air force base, the same thing happened in Germany, he seemed to find languages easy to pick up, however on the first night in Germany when he introduced the band he wondered why there were so many puzzled looks in the audience only to discover he had done the whole thing in French.

Shortening their name to simply “The Saxons” the group returned home from Germany to continue playing in venues all over Britain, including the Iron door club in Birmingham, and several Butlins holiday camps, as was the thing in those days, groups would often “cherry pick” members from other groups and Johnny was no exception, he would often “Stand in for group members who for one reason or another failed to turn up for a gig including standing in for the organist from “Beau Brummell and the nobleman” , a year later Johnny joined a Brighton group “The Giants” for a short period, and finally “The Trekkers” during a gig with the Trekkers at “The Top Hat Ballroom” in Littlehampton Johnny was approached by an agent for a Norwegian Group call "The Vanguards"

The “Big break for Johnny, it was now 1966 and “The Vanguards” were just about to record a record called “Mot ukjent sted” ( An unknown place) but the song needed an organ, within two weeks of being released the record hit the top ten and in the third week reached the number one spot on the Norwegian charts, it stayed in the charts for many weeks.

Johnny with Millie (My boy Lollipop) Small

The group entered the charts once again with the release of the group's second record Lykkeveien( Lucky Road) once more reaching the number one spot.

Johnny began to build up quite a following so much so that he and the other members of the band were unable to venture out on their own for fear of being mobbed, as it was, Johnny was often pulled from the stage, one time during a rendition of “Everybody needs somebody” Johnny ended up with torn jackets and the shirt ripped right off him.

The Group made lot's of TV appearances and their picture was often featured in newspapers Johnny made two television adverts a film for Norwegian TV and appeared on a couple or radio programs, he was often seen in the company of Norwegian film stars, on a trip to London to cut their third album, the group along with pop star Millie (My boy lollypop” Small, made a visit to a small London club where Johnny was introduced to George Harrison from “The Beatles” he was quoted as saying “My heart was beating so fast, I thought I would be ill”

Returning from a summer tour of Sweden Johnny left the Vanguards to strike out on his own, he formed a group call “The Daymen” his first solo single “I want you to be my Baby” never achieved the heights of the Vanguards success, he quickly decided a singing career was not for him and took up an offer to become a disc jockey and MC

This was to be almost a second coming for Johnny, he became very well known as a DJ appearing all over Scandinavia often billed as “The top DJ of Northern Europe, he ended up with three clubs of his own in and around Oslo.

Working as a DJ

He met many stars of the time including Benny Anderson from Abba, Millie Small, the Jackson five and numerous more but according to him one of the highlights of his career was to appear as the master of ceremonies with “Bill Haley and the Comets”
He made many radio appearances in Oslo now fluent in Norwegian and wishing to “quit while still at the top” Johnny took the next step in his career.

Johnny returned to England and duly found a large Victorian house in Littlehampton Johnny went to BBC Radio Brighton for an interview to be a presenter, however he decided radio work was not for him and was hired to work as a DJ at a club in Rustington, within a year he gave up show business, turning down an offer to re-launch “The Saxons” seeking work in a local dry cleaners in Littlehampton and then later at a laundry as the dry cleaning manager, he went on to buy the business it was there where he was to meet his wife Christine, Johnny and Christine were married at the Worthing registry office on 27th October 1972.

In 2001 the well known BBC pop presenter and author, Mike Read wrote a book called “The South coast beat scene of the 1960” in which Johnny was featured, the book recalls just how it was in those heady days on the 1960s

Johnny sold his business in 2002 and is now retired he  has made a couple of return visits to Norway to meet up with old friends and group members and regards Norway as his second home

Johnny Day