Martin Ash

Martin Ash was a British performer, percussionist, artist and art lecturer better known to many by his stage name Sam Spoons, the percussionist of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.[1]

Early life and education

He was born on 8 February 1942 in Bridgwater but moved to Barnstaple when he was 12. He was the first student to gain an A-Level in art at Barnstaple Grammar School, before moving to Plymouth to study illustration (NDD Honours). From 1963 to 1966 he studied industrial design at the Royal College of Art.[2]

Career

Musician

He joined The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band in 1963 leaving in December 1967 and rejoining in 2006.[2] Ash was also a member of Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band recording with the band on their eponymous LP.[3]

Credited as Sam Spoons, Martin appeared on all the early Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band singles and highly popular debut album Gorilla (1967).[2] He was co writer and arranger of Jazz, Delicious Hot, Disgusting Cold which formed part of the Guest House Paradiso (1999) film soundtrack.[4]

In 2006 Martin Ash and other surviving members of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band reunited - along with Stephen Fry, Ade Edmondson and Phill Jupitus - for a reunion tour.[5]

Artist and lecturer

Martin worked as a senior art lecturer at Chelsea School of Art from 1972 until retirement.[1]

A posthumous solo art exhibition, which Ash had been working on, was presented by White Moose gallery at Tapeley Park in Instow, from 14 October to 16 October 2018, titled KerbArt : A Solo Exhibition by Martin Ash (AKA Sam Spoons).[6][1]

Death

Ash died on 27 September 2018, aged 76, from cancer. His funeral was held at North Devon Crematorium in Barnstaple.[1]

References
  1. Gussin, Tony (9 October 2018). "Former Bonzo Sam Spoons takes a bow with posthumous art exhibition". North Devon Gazette. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  2. "Spooning with the Bonzos - Record Collector Magazine". Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  3. Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band, Whoopee, retrieved 16 April 2021
  4. Guest House Paradiso (1999) - IMDb, retrieved 16 April 2021
  5. "Play it again, Sam". Surrey Comet. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  6. "KerbArt : A Solo Exhibition by Martin Ash (AKA Sam Spoons) - Barnstaple - Visit North Devon". www.visitdevon.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
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