Jesse Hector, the charismatic frontman of several pioneering 1970s rock bands, has died at the age of 78 after suffering a heart attack. He is remembered as one of the great unsung heroes of British rock'n'roll.
In the early 1970s, Hector led a series of high-voltage bands that anticipated both the hard-edged glam style of Slade and the punk movement. Crushed Butler, Helter Skelter, and the Hammersmith Gorillas all showcased his scintillating guitar playing, ferocious vocal style, and dynamic stage presence.
After a raucous cover of the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" in 1974, the Gorillas aligned with the nascent punk era in 1976 with a show-stopping set at the Mont de Marsan punk festival in France, where Hector developed a cult following. TV appearances followed, and the Gorillas achieved their greatest profile with classic singles "She's My Gal" and "Gatecrasher" in 1977. Mark Perry of the punk fanzine Sniffin Glue described Hector as "a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Noddy Holder."
The 1978 LP Message to the World was Hector's definitive statement, marrying the energy and attitude of punk with a ferocious belief in the spiritual power of rock'n'roll. However, after the death of his friend and bandmate Alan Butler in the early 1980s, Hector retired from music.
Born in Kilburn, north-west London, to Doll (Dorothy), a seamstress, and Harry, a toolmaker, Hector discovered Elvis and rock'n'roll in 1956. He acquired a guitar and some tutoring, appearing at the 2i's club as a teenager. In 1961, at just 14, he cut an EP with his Rock & Roll Trio, one of the few authentic pre-Beatles British rock recordings.
A mooted session with producer Joe Meek failed to materialise. After drifting through the London music scene in the 1960s and observing acts like the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Small Faces' Steve Marriott, Hector emerged with Crushed Butler, Helter Skelter, and then the Hammersmith Gorillas, with whom he achieved his greatest success.
He returned in the mid-1990s with two new bands, the Sound and the Gatecrashers, proving he had lost none of his trademark guitar chops, vocal gymnastics, and hypnotic stage presence. After a few years, he retreated to life as an office cleaner, but remained a totemic figure to a hardcore of true believers, often seen in north London record shops and at his local pub, the Spread Eagle in Camden Town.
Hector's brother Alan died in 2009. He is survived by his nephew, George.
