Brendan Croker: Founding member of The Notting Hillbillies dead at 70

British musician and founding member of the remarkable country rock band The Notting Hillbillies, Brendan Croker, passed away on September 10, 2023, after suffering complications resulting from leukemia.

He was aged 70.

Croker was born on August 15, 1953, in Bradford, Yorkshire, England, and recorded albums under his own name.

Since the 1980s, Croker has made music with a number of bands including The Five O’Clock Shadows, The Mekons, Sally Timms and the Drifting Cowgirls.

The Yorkshire native also did some noteworthy collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton, Tanita Tikaram, Mark Knopfler, Kevin Coyne, and Chet Atkins.

Some of his collaborative albums with the 5 O’Clock Shadows include “Central Station Hotel (1985), A Close Shave (1986), Boat Trips in the Bay (1987), Live at the Front Page: The Official Bootleg (1987), Brendan Croker and The 5 O’Clock Shadows (1989).”

Other collaborations of his include “On The Big Hill (1988), Missing…Presumed Having a Good Time (1990), Time Off (1992), Made in Europe (1993), and Life Is Almost Wonderful (2002).”

As a solo artist, Croker was known for “Country Blues Guitar (1990), The Great Indoors (1991), Redneck State of The Art (1995), The Kershaw Sessions (1995), Three Chord Lovesongs (1996), and Not Just A Hillbilly… More Like a Best of Brendan Croker (2000).”