FUMBLE band members – Des Henly

Desmond Russell Henly attended Walliscote Junior & Secondary Modern, threw ink at people and generally behaved like most other kids looking for an outlet, until he found one in 1957.

"Loving You" the legendary Elvis Presley film was showing locally and young Des was in the audience. From that day on all he wanted out of life was a lumberjack shirt and a guitar, both of which his parents bought him (plus the sheet music to "Loving You").

Instant fame eluded him though, the strings gave him blisters and at 13 he switched to organ, four chords later he was in his first group 'The Atomic 5'. He changed groups almost bi-monthly until joining 'The Strollers', playing his first club date at 14.
Then he formed The Iveys with two friends, Mario & Remo Ferrari, which 1962 saw their first gig at the Grand Atlantic Hotel.

Des toured Sweden with The Iveys in 1965 and wrote the A-side of their single "When Love Meant So Much To You" which was released on a Swedish compilation CD in 2008. With Fumble he wrote many songs: "Free The Kids", Honey, What A Feelin'" and "Here We Go Again from their LP 'Poetry in Lotion', plus many of their single's the B-sides. His composition "Don't Take Love" was released as a single in 1974.

Des Henly's Rock'n'Roll Circus is still going strong after more than 20 years. Des, Barry and Mario get together once a year to play classic Rock'n'Roll numbers such as "Reelin' and Rockin', Runaround Sue, You Never Can Tell, No Money Down, I'm Ready... and many more

A live double CD has been released in October 2013
For all who did not get the chance to see the gig, the CD is available through this website.