Sammy Prosser (Manchester)

Sammy Prosser (b. Samuel Prosser, 1939, Gorton, Manchester 18, Lancashire, England) was a famous Manchester guitarist.

Prosser who grew up in Gorton, Manchester was a prominent figure in the 1950s and 1960s Manchester music scene, playing in local skiffle groups like The Wild Five and in the late 50's in The Meltones. He was deeply involved in Manchester's early folk and blues clubs, associating with local legends like Victor Brox (b. Colby Victor Hickling Jnr., Monday, May 5, 1941, Tameside Hospital, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire, England d. Monday, February 20, 2023 from cancer).

His Stockport, Cheshire band The Wild Five had a line-up of Prosser on guitar, Jimmy Tollitt on second guitar (b. James Tollitt), Roy Tattersall on tea-chest bass and Alan Hallworth on washboard. The group won the local heats of The National Skiffle Contest at The New Manchester Hippodrome Theatre, Higher Ardwick, Ardwick Green, Manchester 13 in January 1958 when Prosser was still 18. After the contest a picture of the band was taken on Hobart Street, Gorton, Manchester 18.

Prosser later become the resident singer and guitarist at The Left-Wing Coffee Bar, 30 Brazennose Street off Albert Square, Manchester 2, which had opened in 1959. This eventually became the legendary Twisted Wheel Club which opened on Friday, January 27, 1963 with The Karl Denver Trio, The Skyliners and Dean West and the Hellions.

Prosser was later in an early line-up of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (May 1963), founded in Early May 1963 by John Mayall on lead vocals, piano, Hammond B3 organ, Cembalette, harmonica, 9-string guitar (b. John Brumwell Mayall, Wednesday, November 29, 1933, West Park Hospital, Prestbury Road, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England d. Monday, July 22, 2024 at home in California, USA).

Prosser was an acquaintance of Mayall who did a few gigs in May 1963 before being replaced by 18-year-old Bernie 'Strawberry' Watson on lead guitar (b. Bernard Watson, Monday, November 8, 1943, Sunderland, County Durham, England d. Sunday, April 14, 2024, Jaffrey, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, USA).

Info courtesy John H Warburg 12/6/26