Lancaster Guitar Studio celebrates 50th anniversary

David Kellett reached the musical milestone on June 18, exactly five decades to the day that he first opened Lancaster Guitar Studio in Church Street.

In that time he has taught thousands of people to play classical, pop and jazz guitar from the youngest at four years-old to those taking up the instrument as a retirement hobby.

But the 76-year-old has no plans for retirement himself and he still teaches five days a week.

“I wanted to make my living with my guitar and not do anything else, and it’s gone very well!” said David.

“I don’t want to retire. It’s not just a job, I love playing the guitar and writing arrangements for pupils. It gives me a lot of satisfaction.”

Brought up in Lancaster, music was always in David’s blood. His parents both played violin and his grandfather, Harry Wild, was musical director at the Grand Theatre in the early 1900s.

But David was 15 before he picked up his first guitar, inspired by listening to pop music on the radio in the late 1950s.

He started having lessons, firstly in Caton and then in Manchester where he was taught classical guitar by Martin Roberts who had been a pupil of the famous guitarist, Julian Bream.

Bream is one of David’s favourite guitarists, along with John Williams.

David, who’s married to Lyn, has since gone on to teach people who’ve become professional musicians and teachers themselves.

In 1965, he played with a band called the Green Ginger Four who received a recording contract from Decca – who famously rejected The Beatles.

And some of the Green Ginger Four’s records reached Radio Caroline’s Top 50 and led to a few television appearances.

Over the years, the father-of-four has played with other bands, most latterly, True Colours and mainly in the Lake District and at weddings.

Although the modest musician didn’t officially mark Lancaster Guitar Studio’s 50th anniversary, there were some family celebrations that weekend which coincided with Father’s Day and his grandson’s birthday.