Ian Gillan was born on August 19th 1945 in Hounslow and was brought up in this Middlesex suburb in an atmosphere where musical endeavour was highly regarded. He was introduced to rock and roll by Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' and at 16 decided to form a group, The Moonshiners. A few weeks later he was poached by The Javelins. It was October 1962, and Ian jacked school in mid-term.
Ian took the stage name Jess Gillan or Jess Thunder, and The Javelins worked hard for two years semi-pro until December 1964 when Gillan was again head-hunted,...
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