Stan
Webb (born Stanley Frederick Webb, 3 February 1946) is the frontman
and lead guitarist with the blues band, Chicken Shack.
Career
Webb was born in Fulham, South West London. Playing firstly in skiffle
bands, Webb formed the first version of the blues band, Chicken Shack in
1965. The band played in Hamburg, Germany over the next couple of years, as
Webb perfected his playing techniques. They signed to the Blue Horizon
record label in 1967, where their label mates were the fledgling Fleetwood
Mac. The group was then composed of Webb, Christine Perfect, drummer Dave
Bidwell, and bassist Andy Sylvester (who would later play with the British
blues ensemble, Savoy Brown). Chicken Shack
enjoyed their heyday in the mid to late 1960s, when R&B was a popular music
form in England. Their music was traditional in make-up, and the group
covered a variety of American blues standards, as well as composing several
home-spun tunes. Their repertoire included, arguably, their most played
track - 'I'd Rather Go Blind'. This song was originally recorded by Etta
James, written by Ellington Jordan and Billy Foster, and became a modern day
blues classic.
Chicken Shack are probably most remembered for including Perfect on
keyboards and vocals in their line-up. She rose to far greater fame when she
later joined Fleetwood Mac becoming Christine McVie after her marriage to
the band's bassist, John McVie.
Chicken Shack's line-up has evolved and changed considerably over the years
with Webb being the only constant factor. In 2001, Webb released his first
solo album for over eight years when Webb appeared on the Indigo Records
label.