Johnny Campbell of The Detours

Guitarist John Richard Campbell was born in Christchurch, on March 26th, 1947. He started his musical career with the ukulele and learnt to play the piano with Bob Bradford of “Big Band” fame. John soon moved onto the guitar after being exposed to the guitar sounds created by the “Shadows” where his love of precision guitar playing began.

John was playing in bands in 1962 while still at school and featured in the “Torments”. By 1963 he was part of what was to be his favourite band “The Detours”. John and the band grew in popularity and before long were creating their own following, culminating with appearances on the local TV show “Have a Shot”.

Above (from left) - The original Detours. John Campbell today.
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Bigger and better things were in store for Johnny and the Detours. In 1963, as the Detours popularity increased, the band took on the prestigious St Mary's, Merivale, Church Dance. They also secured the Sunday Youth Club in Carlyle Street run by Max Merritt’s parents (the Christchurch Teenage Club).

1964 saw the Detours taking part in the new “Surf City” in the Pleasant Point Domain Hall at South Brighton with the band playing free sound-shell concerts in New Brighton on Saturday afternoons to the delight of the twisting, stomping teenagers.

By 1965 they had secured a residency at the prestigious “Laredo Nitespot” alongside “The Playboys” who included Dave Millar soon to be “of the Bryds”.  1965 was also the year for the band's hit single "My Girl", written by Johnny some years earlier while still at school. This was the year for one of John’s high spots in his career when Trevor King arranged for The Detours to open the Christchurch concert of the “Rolling Stones” Tour at the Theatre Royal in February 1965.

The following year saw travel, shows and nightspots but by mid 1966 The Detours disbanded and John Campbell went on to even bigger things in the Commercial world putting his band playing behind him until 2006 when he went through a musical revival. This occurred at the Christchurch Cathedral 150 Centennial Church Dance celebration where the sounds of the Shadows rang out once again. Now John returns to the stage to celebrate 50 years of Rock and Roll and his continuing love of the Shadows music.