Shaunny Longlegs

Shaun, AKA Shaun Longlegs, from Farnborough, still lives near where he was born and has rock and Roll running though his veins. I’d seen him at various Ted events and he’d always looked sharp. There was something reminiscent of the best of 70s Teddy Boy culture about the way he dressed and carried himself – not the caricature Showaddywaddy dayglo - but the vibe captured by Chris Steel-Perkins in his legendary book ‘The Teds’. I caught up with him a few weeks back to find out more about his journey.

I always listened to music, not knowing that I really liked music. As a kid the main music I remember was the blues. My dad played blues and folk stuff on guitar -Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davies & Skip James.

I always knew who Elvis and Chuck Berry were, but I was 11 or 12 when I saw Tom Jones on the Simpsons playing 'It's Not Unusual' and my dad took me to Virgin megastore to get a CD of his songs. I found out that there were some songs he didn't write, like 'Memphis Tennessee' was originally Chuck Berry and Green Green Grass of home was recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis and through that I looked these singers up on YouTube. I think for about a year straight I didn’t listen to anything but Chuck Berry and Little Richard. YouTube showed me other singers like Fats Domino and Bo Diddley. I got into Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly ,and my dad told me about Eddie Cochran and when I found him, I wanted to look like him”

“When I was a teenager, I was more rockabilly 'cause I couldn't afford the clothes. I dressed more American style - I just wanted to look like Eddie Cochran, Elvis and Johnny Burnett. Most of the young people on the scene are rockabilly rather than Teds.

I'd never known my Dad was a Teddy Boy. When he saw me getting into rock and roll he told me he was a Ted in the 60s. When he saw me really getting into it - when he saw me going to the Wildest Cats Weekender - he let me have his drape