1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013  2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

THE LATEST, THE LAST AND FAREWELL 2022

Hello everyone or should I say goodbye?

As you will be aware ”THE BACHELORS with John Stokes” more or less retired in 2019. Although I said we would still be available for the occasional cruises and local charities the pandemic soon put an end to that idea. So, after a two-year layoff we have decided to completely call it a day.

For me it began when original BACHELORS member JOHN STOKES and KEVIN NEIL from The Karl Denver Trio came to watch me perform at Barns Green Catholic Club in Manchester in late 1995. The Bachelors had split in 1984 with John agreeing for the other two members to use the name "The New Bachelors" - which to be fair they did until they started using "THE BACHELORS" (South pier Blackpool - and yes, I have the poster) thus breaking the agreement and freeing John to form his own version of the BACHELORS which with the help of Kevin and me he did.

In order to avoid confusion they evolved into "THE BACHELORS with Con & Dec" and we became "THE BACHELORS with John Stokes".

We did our first show in Sacred Heart Church parish hall in Uppermill near Oldham on the 26th of January 1996 and our last in The Empire club Rochdale on the 14th of November 2019.

In-between I have had nearly 25 of the best years of my life for which I will always be indebted to JOHN STOKES for his belief in me and all that I learned from him especially in the recording studio. Needless to say the same goes for my dear departed friend Kevin Neil who I think about constantly. Lastly my long-time friend Dave Pearson who replaced Kevin, and who took Kevin’s advice and played his own style, thus bringing another dimension to “THE BACHELORS with John Stokes”.

Our web site has now expired but as I wanted to preserve a record of all I have written about my 25 years with "THE BACHELORS with John Stokes" I contacted my good friend Laurence Payne, who for years has been formulating my writings and our ideas into something that I am very proud of . The upshot is that he will host the web site and as you are now reading this you will know the domain address is www.jonathanyoung-bachelors.com

My final thoughts are that I have always admired what John, Con & Dec achieved in the 60s & 70s and all three had a right to perform those great songs. I have watched the reruns of their Palladium performances and thought they were excellent. If you read through our whole web site you will find that I never say a bad word about anyone. Period!
This is only my opinion, but the untrue and unkind things said about John Stokes on other sites I’m afraid did nothing but harm to the legacy of THE BACHELORS.

John and Dave are both fine, enjoying their retirement, while I intend to carry on singing solo as long as I am able, and can promise you my solo act will always include a selection of those great Bachelors songs I have always enjoyed singing . I will also continue acting and maybe write a follow up to my book “Key to yesterday.” Who knows? For any enquires I can always be reached at my email address: jonathanyoung47@hotmail.co.uk

On previous pages we have already thanked everyone connected with us but once again to all the agents and promoters who booked us, to all the musicians who accompanied us and most of all to the lovely people who paid good money to come and see us.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.