Hank Wangford is a distinguished English country and western songwriter - and the stage name of Dr. Samuel Hutt, (b.1940). His music is notable for its humour and cheerful irony, and occasional excursions into biting political undercurrent.
It is said that a chance meeting with Gram Parsons (formerly a member of The Byrds), who played him the song "You're Still on My Mind" (from the album Sweetheart of the Rodeo), led him to country music. Although his first recordings in the Hank Wangford guise were made with a group of leading session musicians, he now works with a group. The first band being the Hank Wangford Band; more lately Hank tours and plays as Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys.
There have been at least four incarnations of Hank Wangford Band, and a significant feature of the various lineups has been the number of high quality musicians who have appeared with him. For example, the second incarnation of the Hank Wangford Band included Amos Avaczyk-Daley (bass) (aka Gary Taylor), Milton Keynes alias Billy Three-Knees, a genuine Prawnee Indian (drums) (aka Howard Tibble), Brad Breath (lead - pronounced as in the metal - guitar) (aka Andy Roberts), Irma Cetas (vocalist) (aka Melanie Harrold), and Manly Footwear (pedal steel guitar) (aka B. J. Cole). This lineup broke up in 1984 after appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe although Andy Roberts, B. J. Cole and Melanie Harrold have occasionally returned to play live dates with Hank.
Hank currently tours and plays as Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys. This is a return to a more folk and country orientated approach and the current lineup is Hank with Reg Meuross (vocals, banjo and guitar), Martin Belmont (guitar and six stringed bass), Kevin Foster (bass) and Roy Dodds (drums). During 2008, B. J. Cole appeared with the band on a number of occasions.
Dr. Hutt works as a family planning doctor for the British National Health Service (NHS). After the fall and execution of Nicolae Ceauşescu, he has spent a lot of time in Romania helping to set up a family planning infrastructure, including training nurses and doctors in prescribing contraception. Hank also writes an occasional series of travel articles for The Guardian newspaper (in the UK) and is president of the 'Nude Mountaineering Society'.
It is said that a chance meeting with Gram Parsons (formerly a member of The Byrds), who played him the song "You're Still on My Mind" (from the album Sweetheart of the Rodeo), led him to country music. Although his first recordings in the Hank Wangford guise were made with a group of leading session musicians, he now works with a group. The first band being the Hank Wangford Band; more lately Hank tours and plays as Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys.
There have been at least four incarnations of Hank Wangford Band, and a significant feature of the various lineups has been the number of high quality musicians who have appeared with him. For example, the second incarnation of the Hank Wangford Band included Amos Avaczyk-Daley (bass) (aka Gary Taylor), Milton Keynes alias Billy Three-Knees, a genuine Prawnee Indian (drums) (aka Howard Tibble), Brad Breath (lead - pronounced as in the metal - guitar) (aka Andy Roberts), Irma Cetas (vocalist) (aka Melanie Harrold), and Manly Footwear (pedal steel guitar) (aka B. J. Cole). This lineup broke up in 1984 after appearing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe although Andy Roberts, B. J. Cole and Melanie Harrold have occasionally returned to play live dates with Hank.
Hank currently tours and plays as Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys. This is a return to a more folk and country orientated approach and the current lineup is Hank with Reg Meuross (vocals, banjo and guitar), Martin Belmont (guitar and six stringed bass), Kevin Foster (bass) and Roy Dodds (drums). During 2008, B. J. Cole appeared with the band on a number of occasions.
Dr. Hutt works as a family planning doctor for the British National Health Service (NHS). After the fall and execution of Nicolae Ceauşescu, he has spent a lot of time in Romania helping to set up a family planning infrastructure, including training nurses and doctors in prescribing contraception. Hank also writes an occasional series of travel articles for The Guardian newspaper (in the UK) and is president of the 'Nude Mountaineering Society'.