John Gee (manager)
Manager of the Marquee club from 1968 1970, John Gee is one of key figures of the club who turned the focus of the club to new music styles. Often described as a Frank Sinatra's freak who had no appreciation for new styles of music, John Gee was in fact a man completely committed to the development of jazz music in the UK and was the one who bid for it's fusion with new forms of music. Under the banner of "New Paths", Gee gave an opportunity to bands like Jethro Tull , Circus and King Crimson on the Sunday nights of 1969.
The figure of John Gee is also associated with the birth of the rhythm and blues days in London. Gee became secretary of the club in 1968 and a year later, under his influence, the club had extended it's offer from Thursdays to a three night schedule (Monday, Thrusday and Sunday).
During the early sixties, a small group of very young musicians discovered music imported from the U.S. from blues legends like Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf and Freddie King, and the new generation of rhythm and blues masters such as Muddy Waters, and the new young generation of British blues talents such as Eric Clapton, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, the Yardbirds and the Rolling Stones.
In 1968, Jethro Tull recorded the jazzy instrumental "One for John Gee", released as a B side of the "Song For Jeffrey" single, as a personal tribute to the manager of the club who supported and encouraged the band enormously.
John Gee was also famous for his strict management of the Marquee club, which probably made a success of it. Alvin Lee of Tean years After remembers about their first audition for Gee: "We were all very scared of John Gee. He was very strict you know. He'd tell all the bands they had to be in the dressing room a quarter of an hour before they were due on. And he used to time the road managers at work."
In January 1970, John Gee retired from the club's charge and was replaced by Jack Barrie, who was the manager of a popular nearby drinking club called La Chasse.
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— Brian Finn Sep 24, 07:52 AM #