It was a pleasure to have spent time with John Walker both on & off stage.
He always looked and behaved the true star he was, and was ever the consummate professional, always having time for his fans.
One of the good guys.
It was a privilege to have known him as a musician, singer and friend.
All our love to Cynthia and his family.
He will be sadly missed.
The Dakotas
Toni
Toni Baker joined the Dakotas early in the 90s, though he has a long history of working in well known bands. He played on Billy Ocean's early recordings in the 70s, & was a member of "Shabby Tiger", a hugely successful group in Europe, with many hit singles, such as the No.1, "Slow Down". Toni, who is still a top UK session man, now owns his own recording studio "Moose". He is also a talented songwriter, who had a Number 5 hit in Japan with Eat You Up. More recently Toni wrote all the music, including the theme tune, for Britain's top comedian Peter Kay on his highly acclaimed comedy series "Phoenix Nights" and Max & Paddy's Road to Nowhere. Toni and fellow band member Pete Hilton also starred in the first episode of the first series of Phoenix Nights as members of a folk band called "Half A Shilling". Toni continues his production and session work for major TV programmes including "Waterloo Road" and "League of Gentlemen". A CD containing much of his recent TV work - The Best of Peter Kay So Far -was released in December 2005. Toni is working on the music production of a guitar tuition DVD at the moment, called "killerguitartips".
Pete
Pete Hilton joined the Dakotas in 1999, but has also a long established pedigree. An ex-member of Freddie & the Dreamers, he is also a respected session drummer, and has been touring since 1963. In the late sixties Pete worked the original Liverpool Cavern Club with the eminent guitarist Robin Hill. Pete and Robin went on to form jazz rock band "Spring". There were memorable live performances with Mike Oldfield, Joe Cocker, Canned Heat, Deep Purple, & Traffic. In the late seventies Pete worked theatres throughout the UK with many greats such as Frankie Howerd and Bob Monkhouse. Rolf Harris & Tommy Cooper also played an important role in Pete's musical education! In the late seventies while working with pop group Family Affair (Alan Clare was also in the band!) Pete grabbed the opportunity to gig with the Supremes (Mary Wilson). He also worked alongside David Essex, who later inspired Pete to perform in "Godspell" while he was living in Canada. Pete is passionate about jazz and classical music and was delighted to collaborate with Robin Hill once again to perform the Claude Bolling concerto. Pete is currently recording again with Robin. He continues to teach drumming, as well as performing with the Dakotas.
Alan
Alan Clare joined the band in 2006. His varied guitar talents lend themselves perfectly to The Dakotas' many faceted musical styles. Alan has worked in many bands, including Freddie & the Dreamers alongside Pete Hilton, and is still a major session player, having worked with artists as diverse as the Supremes, Dionne Warwick, Buddy Greco, Cliff Richard, Gene Pitney, Gerard Kenny, Kenny Lynch, Lynn Paul and Ken Dodd. As well as being one of the North's leading session guitarists, Alan also teaches a master class in advanced jazz guitar techniques.
Marius
Marius Jones joined the band in October 2010. He was already well known to Pete Alan & Toni, so was an obvious choice when it came down to choosing the right man for the job. Marius has a wealth of musical experience and has worked with many legends over the years. As well as working with Pete & Alan years ago with Freddie & the Dreamers, he also played bass with Amen Corner for several years. He is a great musician who has provided the musical foundation for a wealth of international stars.
Ronnie
Ronnie Ravey had been known to the Dakotas for years, as a professional singer/frontman. He has worked alongside many famous names both live and in the studio,since the early 60s. Like the rest of the Dakotas, he learned his craft by performing and singing every kind of music from The Everly Bros to Joe Cocker. His vocal talents are just perfect for the many styles of music The Dakotas like to perform live today, and his personality is second to none when it comes to making an audience feel at home. When the band decided to become a 5 piece outfit in November 2010, Ronnie was the perfect choice to front the band.