Jet had been one of the earliest propents of the bass guitar in Britain and was also the one who came up with the name for "The Shadows" when Cliff Richard's backing band had to change their name from the Drifters.
We were lucky enough to meet Jet - only very briefly - backstage at the Blackpool Grand Theatre back in October when he was playing on the "Born to Rock n Roll Tour" with Marty Wilde. We passed on the stairs and only had time for a quick "hello" because he was on his way down to do his soundcheck and we were on our way up to interview Marty.
Jet really was a revelation on stage. Although he had been beset by health problems in recent years, he took everything with good humour - like telling about having spent 20 minutes brushing his hair and then leaving it back at the hotel... saying he'd recently received an MBE but how he couldn't wear it as it knocked him off balance... having a little dig at his former Shadows colleagues: "now here's another tune no-one likes..." before launching into a storming rendition of "Apache" and paying homage to other guitar greats of the era : "I'm gonna do a Duane Eddy tribute now. Dunno why though - the b*gg*r never plays any of mine...".
What also was very heartening was, after the show, the huges queues of people lining up to meet Jet, shake his hand, get his autograph, take a photo. Many will not have seen him play live before. With the world of music having changed so much over the past half century, we are unlikely to see his like again. We feel privileged to have been there.
Jet Harris official website: http://www.jetharris.biz/
Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Bw3R9peyk&feature=related
