Profiles

When The Lightning Seed’s Ian Broudie, stood on the stage of Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and introduced friend Ian McCulloch for a special performance of what he called one of his 'favourite songs', The Merseys' Sorrow, it was an acknowledgement that while Broudie's generation may have always deliberately distanced themselves from The Beatles legacy, there are some of the 1960s Cavern stable who still resonate.

A new BBC Radio Merseyside series looks at the career of Billy Kinsley, who has moved from Cavern stalwart to local legend, thanks to his time with The Merseybeats, The Merseys and Liverpool Express.

BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Spencer Leigh has spent hours with The Merseybeats' lead guitarist tracing back his family's Liverpool roots and his development as a musician.

Billy with Paul McCartney

In the first episode of the series, broadcast at 5pm on Sunday, 9 August, Spencer accompanies Billy as he visits Liverpool Record Office to trace his grandfather who was killed in the trenches of the First World War.

Billy, finds a photograph of his grandfather, Ellis Kinsley and reveals how his name was spelt wrongly by the War Office on his gravestone as Ellis Kingsley, "If you’re going to die for your country at least they can spell your name right," says Billy.

The Merseybeats formed in Liverpool, originally as The Mavericks, in 1960 and after a short lived deal with Brian Epstein signed for Fontana in 1963 having hits with "It's Love That Really Counts" and "I Think of You".

The group disbanded in 1966 and Billy Kinsley formed The Merseys with Tony Crane enjoying success with their first single 'Sorrow'.

Later Billy returned to the charts with Liverpool Express in 1976 with the single "You Are My Love".

Especially for the Radio Merseyside programme Billy has recorded a series of songs, including Roy Orbison’s 'There Won’t Be Many Coming Home'.

Billy recalls how his middle name, Ellis, after his grandfather, went from a discomfort to something he was proud of, "I was embarrassed by my name when I was a kid because I thought it a bit strange," Billy remembers.

"Then when Elvis Presley came out Ellis was as close as you could get."

The first episode also looks back on Billy’s childhood, "My mother worked very hard," says Billy.

"She worked in a factory, Crawford Biscuits, and we loved her working there because every Wednesday night she came home with a big free bag of broken biscuits."

'It's Love That Really Counts' – The Billy Kinsley story begins on BBC Radio Merseyside 5pm, Sunday, 4 August, 2009.