From young Suffolk airman to soul music icon - meet Geno Washington.

By Tamika Green.

When Geno Washington joined the Air Force in 1961, it was to elude the looming threat of being drafted into the Vietnam War. But little did he know that this decision would place him on a completely new path, thousands of miles away from his home in Evansville, Indiana, and into a successful music career that would span decades.

At age 17, he left the bustling and growing city behind and was stationed at RAF Bentwaters

and RAF Woodbridge in rural East Suffolk. His role in the Air Force was a PT instructor.

Having been a keen athlete in his youth, he was able to put his talents to good use teaching sports like football, tennis and badminton, umpiring games, and ensuring personnel kept fit.

But living in Suffolk was worlds away from his life in Evansville.

“Being a Black man in England, you didn't have a lot of restrictions on you. People didn’t ask, ‘What are you doing walking down this street? What are you doing in this neighbourhood? A lot of those restrictions were removed,” he recalls.

“You would see Black, White, Indian, Chinese, all mixing together. So, that shows you how

different it was - no segregation and all that. And it was a surprise to see so many Black people.

“However, when you wanted to rent a place in London, though, you would see signs that said ‘No Blacks, no Irish, no kids, and oh... no dogs'.

“But I saw nothing like that when I was around in Ipswich. Ipswich was my stomping ground. It wasn’t boring. People were having fun.”

Photo courtesy of Buddy Beadle

It was in Ipswich where Geno first began his music career. Seeing how the local bands wowed the crowds, he was inspired to get on stage himself. He asked bands if he could join them and, from there, he developed a taste for it. He remembers on one occasion being asked to perform with a band again at the Coach and Horses pub.

“I came back the next week and the place was packed,” he said.

“I was only going to do half an hour with them, but I ended up doing the whole hour. And the group were so happy, the people were happy. They were shouting and we got a standing ovation.

“They went back to the owner and asked, ‘How’s that? Was that fantastic? Did you like that?’ He said, ‘No, you're fired, get the hell out of my damn club’. The owner said he didn't make any money. People were so busy clapping and watching the show that they didn’t buy any drinks. “And he actually fired those guys! I couldn't believe it.”

After that Geno really began to make a name for himself, singing at clubs and venues around the country and performing with the likes of Long John Baldry and the Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart, and The Animals.

When guitarist Pete Gage was looking for a singer to front his band, Geno’s name was put

forward as he would soon be finishing his four-year term with the Air Force. Geno and a

Jamaican singer both auditioned, but Geno was ultimately selected because they thought an American singer would suit the soul genre better.

Geno joined Peter Gage, Geoff Pullum, John Roberts, Lionel ‘Rocky’ Kingham, Buddy Beadle, and Herb Prestidge to form the band, which at that time was unnamed. The name for the band would come later, when they were inspired by the Ram Jam Inn and petrol station on the A1 in Rutland — a place they passed on their way to and from gigs. The name stuck, and from then on they were known as the Ram Jam Band.

After 60 years of performing, Geno’s standout achievement was the band’s success in the

charts. The biggest hit was the album ‘Hipsters, Flipsters and Finger-Poppin’ Daddies’, which

topped the charts at number two for 42 weeks. Other hits included Michael the Lover, Que Sera, and the album ‘Hand Clappin, Foot Stompin, Funky-Butt ... Live!’, which stayed in the top five for 32 weeks.

One of Geno’s fondest memories was performing at a festival in Brighton attended by thousands of people. One year, the band broke the record for the largest audience to watch them, a feat previously held by the likes of The Who and Jimi Hendrix.

Since then, Geno has remained in the UK, returning to the US for a short time after finishing up with the Air Force. He currently lives in Bromley, Greater London. On why he has stayed here for so long, he said: “England is great. It was great for me. Moving back to the States just doesn’t appeal to me at all. There are some cities still suffering from unequal rights.”

Geno met his wife, Mary Ann, whom he affectionately nicknamed Frenchie, in the UK, and they were married for 55 years before she passed away.

At the age of 81, Geno continues to perform because “it’s fun”, he said. And added, “I’ll keep going until my health goes away.”

Gigs with the Ram Jam Band and the Yoyos are scheduled this year and next.

For information about events, visit the website here.