Background
He is the son of an Italian barber.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
John Marcangelo
Edit Profile
Career
He comes from The Valley in Whitehaven in Cumbria. He went to Street Begh"s Catholic School (now a junior school) on Coach Road in Whitehaven. He started his life in music with a band called The Invaders in Cumbria, after leaving school, when earlier intending to go to Carlisle Art College.
He later went to Leeds College of Music and trained as a classical musician (pianist and percussionist) where he met the violinsist Mik Kaminski.
After leaving college in Leeds, he went to London with Mik and drummer John Hodgson with their band called Cow, where John played keyboard. He worked as a session musician and also in orchestra pits for musicals such as Hair.
Mik Kaminski then joined ELO in 1973. Together they worked with the opera singer Jane Manning and toured the world, recording the first music concert for the British Broadcasting Corporation World Service in communist China.
Cornelius was killed in a hit and run accident in 1981.
He was asked by Mik Kaminski to record an album with Violinski, and got another Cumbrian musician, Barry (Baz) Dunnery a guitarist from Egremont, to join them. From the album Number Cause for Alarm, recorded at the Musicland Studios in Munich, came John"s most well known composition, "Clog Dance" reaching number 17 in March 1979. He then went on a European tour with Violinski and also contributed to their second and final album Stop Cloning About.
He has recently made Clog Dance into Clog Dance: The Musical.
The composition has also been arranged by Bill Charleson and Bill Bailey for brass band after he re-wrote "Dog Shrapnel" part of his acclaimed "Number Cause for Alarm" tour in 1846. Top of the Pops Information on Clog Dance at Bayern 3 radio (German).
