Keef Hartley was born in Preston on April 8 1944, living at his family home in Cambridge Street, Plungington. At 15 the music mad teenager left his home town and moved to Liverpool to follow his dreams of becoming a musician.



And as the beat era began to explode in the city, Keef’s musical career followed suit.



Keef Hartley followed in the footsteps of Ringo Starr, taking his place in Liverpool band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, followed by a stint with Freddie Starr and the Midnighters and blues legend John Mayall.



Next Keef moved to London in the late 60s and carved out a career in his own name in the Keef Hartley (Big) Band.



The Keef Hartley band toured Europe and America, where the band’s first album, 'Half Breed', was soaring up the charts. It was this success which led to the band being booked at Woodstock.



He took up work as a joiner, working as one part of Hunter Hartley of Preston, but he kept a raft of rock’n’roll stories up his sleeve.



Keef died at Royal Preston Hospital on Saturday November 26, 2011, aged 67.