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Johnny Dee - The History in brief !

Johnny Dee was born John Devine in Romford, Essex on June 10^th 1961.
He lived in Noak Hill, near Romford until 1969, when his family moved to Sutton Gault in Cambridgeshire.

Attending Witchford Village College he met Andy Clayton, son of an Army Officer. In 1974, with elder brothers Michael and Brian the four boys's formed a Rock band called Colonel Gomez.  (The Gomez name came from the Devine's family doctor in Essex).

The band played cover versions by artist like Dr. Feelgood, Status Quo, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as well as a handful of original tunes.

Their first live performance took place at Sutton Gault Scout Hut on June 19^th 1976, the admission was free and John persuaded several classmates to make up the numbers.

Colonel Gomez performed where ever they could and in 1985 came the bands 'big break'.

They entered the Cambridge Rock band contest held at the prestigious Guildhall, and made it to the grand final.

BBC radio Cambridgeshire were the events main sponsor, and one of their presenters, Trevor Dann was acting as a judge along with Radio One D.J's and other musical luminaries.

Dann, coincidentally was also producer of top rated BBC 2-music show 'Whistle Test'.  It was decided that the Final of the Band contest would be filmed for use in the show.

Colonel Gomez won the award for most entertaining act as they performed 'Satan's Son' (own song),

And 'Shakin' all Over' (Johnny Kidd song).  During the latter tune John had stripped off his clothes to reveal a pair of black swimming trunks, and as the performance reached a climax a Red Penis popped out of the swimwear, the audience loved it!

The 'Whistle Test' was broadcast on March 27^th 1985, all hell broke loose!

Because of the 7PM-time slot and the fact that many people thought that John had exposed himself there was uproar.  Two police offers came to his house and confiscated a video and the prop itself for investigation.

Bookings came in like never before.  One of the best was from Jesus College; to perform at their annual May Ball.  It was made even more newsworthy when it transpired that Prince Edward was on the entertainment committee and was partly responsible for booking Britains 'Riskiest act'.

The band played on for ten more years before breaking up in 1996.  John created 'Johnny Dee' a one-man band, using an audiocassette for backing music.  He was soon very busy, so busy that he actually managed to turn full-time professional entertainer by September of the same year.

Johnny gigged between 3-6 times per week from 1996 until 2001 when he was 'spotted' by Radio Cambridgeshire mid-morning presenter Gerald Main.

He made his 'proper' Radio debut on Monday 25^th June 2001 when he was given the job of roving reporter extrordinaire.

After his seven-day trial run the station decided to give him his very own weekly spot presenting a 'Workers Playtime' outside broadcast show.  'Up the Workers' hit the airwaves in September 2001, with Johnny visiting different factories each week.  He decided to 'jazz up' his interviews with high flying chairman, directors and managers by persuading them to conduct the chat in a 'silly' voice.  Ansons Packaging Chairman Mr Mark Du Jardin appeared as a pirate!  Lee Gillette of Ely-on-Line was a town crier!

Melles Griot Director was an Opera singer!  And Graham Hind, Managing Director of Bio-progress was a man just leaving the vasectomy clinic!

In November Johnny's 'UP THE WORKERS' achieved a first for BBC radio Cambridgeshire, being simultaneously broadcast live on the World Wide Web. Johnny's web page was unveiled by Ely-on-Line on November 16^th,  www.johnnydee.net.

In December 2001 he made a pilot T.V show in Aldgate, East London.  Provisionally titled 'Johnny Dee's Variety Show!'

December 2003 saw the 'Johnny Dee Christmas Cracker' a three hour radio show featuring Johnny's favourite music, with phone-in quiz and fun along the way.

In October 2004 Johnny jetted off from London to New Jersey, USA to compere the 'Biggest Tattoo Expo on Earth'. By far the most glamourous booking ever taken, Johnny performed 4 shows in the Meadowlands Exposition Centre, 5 miles from New York City.

2005 will see another Johnny Dee radio special, this time co-presenting with Andy Harper.

I was in a Rock band called Colonel Gomez..!

We caused a bit of a storm in 1985.  We appeared on BBC 2's 'Whistle test'.  We had entered a Rock band competition and somehow had reached the grand final.  Just by fluke the 'Whistle Test' people were making a film about the music scene in Cambridge in the week of that final. They filmed us playing the old Johnny Kidd and the Pirates tune, 'Shaking All Over'.We were very much in to visuals; my brother dressed as a red devil, with horns, tail and a flying V guitar.  He used to jump out of a six foot six inch high coffin built by our Dad. During 'Shaking all over' I did an impromptu striptease, and at the point where my other brother on the drums hit his crash cymbal and bass drum I appeared to expose myself!Of course it was just a joke.  It was a novelty apple, made of rubber, when you pressed it a small red sausage like object projected out.I had it down my y-fronts, and I had a long discussion with the TV director.

'If there's any chance this will be too rude just tell me, and I won't do it', I told him.He assured me that it would be fine.  We eventually came fourth out of eight groups, but were more than pleased to have been filmed by the beeb. A week later we all gathered around the television.  We were given a two-minute slot, much longer than expected.  They used a long camera shot for the 'balloon in rock act' as Andy Kershaw had called it, and we thought it was OK.The next day I returned from my work at a plastic factory in my village, and my wife said to me, 'Fleet Street are after you'.I could not believe it, and was sure it was a wind-up.It turned out not to be a hoax.  Later that day a photographer came to our house, I had to strip down to the famous pants and posed sipping tea from a cup and saucer.  The Daily Star did an interview and their reporter Geoff Baker told me, 'Don't you realise, you are the most talked about man in Britain today.  Jimmy Young has had the director general of the BBC, Stuart Young on his Radio Two phone-in show.  The topic was the BBC upholding its standards, and last night, with millions of viewers tuned in to the 'Whistle Test' at 7PM a singer got his meat and two veg out!'We had got to know 'Whistle Test' Producer Trevor Dann.

Johnny rides the 'penny farthing', whilst man with hat works him from the back.

We were asked to appear on his radio show. He immediately told us that he had very nearly been sacked over our appearance, and that the ensuing interview was being taped and was to be scanned by Stuart Young.  He wanted to hear a full apology.  We honestly had not gauged what the consequences of my actions were going to be.Two days later another story appeared in the tabloids.  An MP wanted to bring an injunction against Colonel Gomez, and he wanted me prosecuted for indecent exposure.  This was followed by a visit from two Cambridge constabulary officers.

They wanted a copy of the video from the programme as broadcast.  I told them that I hadn't really exposed myself and showed them the joke apple, they examined it and took it to the Station along with several other props as they were attending a Policeman's Ball the next night.The next scandal came as I received a phone call from Jesus College, Cambridge.'We want you to do our May Ball'.  I was shocked, Prince Edward was on the entertainment committee, they can't want us.

They did.  When the Cambridge Evening News got hold of the story it was front-page stuff. 'PRINCE BOOKS RISQUE GROUP'. The snowball was well and truly out of control. Bookings came in where we would be on the same bill as people like, Gary Glitter, Paul Daniels, Acker Bilk, Mud, and Showaddywaddy.  This was not real. The fifteen minutes of fame predicted by Warhol certainly came in for us.  One day I was spotted four times, 'aren’t you the bloke from the telly?' More prestige gigs came our way.  We met one of our idols, Lee Brillaux from Doctor Feelgood at Clare College Ball.  We supported Motorhead at the Corn Exchange, and were told by a roadie that Lemmy was looking forward to seeing the marital aid in the flesh as it were.  Sure enough when we launched into 'Shaking all Over' there in the wings were Lemmy and the rest of Motorhead...... they were laughing heartily!