John Edward Lee Fullagar (born 6 April 1944), known professionally as John Stax, is an English musician best known as original bassist for the Pretty Things.
He was born in Crayford, Kent in 1944. He adopted the name "Stax" because of his fondness for the music produced by Stax Records.Pretty Things, the Pretty Things Get the Picture? CD, liner notes by Pierre Perrone, Madfish, Snapper Music, 2011, liner notes Stax played on all of the Pretty Things charting singles, which included "Rosalyn," "Don't Bring Me Down," "Midnight to Six Man," "Road Runner," "Honey I Need", and "Cry to Me."Brown, Tony, Jon Kutner & Neil Warwick, The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles and Albums, Omnibus Press, London, 2002, p. 795 He also frequently contributed backing vocals as well as playing harmonica. He played on the Pretty Things' first three albums: The Pretty Things,The Pretty Things, Fontana, TL 5239 1965, liner notes Get the Picture?The Pretty Things, Get the Picture?, Fontana TL 5280, 1965, liner notes and Emotions, although his exact contributions to the latter are unknown. He also played on the band's first two EPs, The Pretty Things and "Rainin' in My Heart". He was part of The Pretty Things infamous tour of New Zealand in 1965. Stax left the band in January 1967, a month after rhythm guitarist Brian Pendleton. Stax then emigrated to Australia in 1970 where he currently resides.
Stax currently builds and sells cigar box guitars.John Stax, Black Diamond Cigar Box Guitars - About Page He rejoined the Pretty Things on their 2012 Australian tour,DRW Entertainment - The Pretty Things Farewell Tour taking the stage on a couple of songs to play bass guitar and harmonica and also guested for a song on their 2018 Farewell Tour in Melbourne.Kiwi Musicians In Oz - Pretty Things Farewell Tour 2018
Stax also played with Melbourne R&B 'supergroup' Blues Hangover, which featured Dave Hogan (vocals, harp), Warren Rough (guitar) and Ken Farmer (drums; all from The Paramount Trio) plus Peter Wells (Rose Tattoo) and Lucy De Soto. The band issued two albums issued on the Dog Meat label, Blues HangoverBlues Hangover, Dog Meat DOG070CD 1995, Liner notes (1995) and RoadrunnerRoadrunner, Dog Meat DOG078CD 1996, Liner notes (1996).McFarlane, 'Peter Wells' entry at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 June 2004). Archived from the original on 15 June 2004. Retrieved 2 July 2014
References
External links On AllMusic
Black Diamond Cigar Box Guitars DRW Entertainment - Pretty Things Farewell Tour Discogs artist Blues Hangover Louder - Pretty Things British Band Story Kiwi Musicians In Oz - Pretty Things Farewell Tour 2018