Trevor Oakes - Guitars 1973 to December 2008
When Showaddywaddy formed, he continued his songwriting prowess and contributed a number of the band's own songs. Showaddywaddy's own songs were always credited to all eight members, but they were mainly written by Trevor and/or Dave Bartram, with Geoff Betts (Al James) chipping in with a handful. Trevor is known to have written "Rock 'n' Roll Lady", "Lookin' Back", "I Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll No More", "I Don't Want To Dream Anymore" - his favourite self-penned song being "That's Alright With Me" which the band wanted to release as a single in 1979 instead of “A Night At Daddy Gee’s”.
Pic: Performing at the Swap Shop Rock Garden Party, Jubilee Gardens in London, Spring Bank Holiday 29th May 1978. Picture copyright of Peter Lane and courtesy of www.saturdaymornings.co.uk
Trevor also wrote and sang lead vocals on "Sympathy", a track recorded around 1986 but not released until 1990 (b-side to Rockin' & Rollin' With Santa Claus). He also performed lead on "Route 66" in the '90s, a song written by Bobby Troup but perhaps best known as being a cover by the Rolling Stones in 1964, and also covered by Chuck Berry in 1961.
As a musician, Trev played mainly rhythm guitar with the band. He also played lead on a number of tracks including "Feelin'" and the first solo in "Rock 'n' Roll Music". In the live set, he played bass on "Dancin' Party", but not on the studio version.
Trev was a keen a footballer, playing in local Leicestershire Sunday league teams and showbiz XIs in the '70s, '80s & '90s. Such was Trev's passion for the game, two of his sons (Scott and Stefan) became professional footballers.
Trevor played his last gig with Showaddywaddy on Saturday 20th December 2008, at the Cheese & Grain in Frome, Somerset. His place was taken by Leicester-based guitarist Paul Dixon, initially on a temporary basis pending Trev's return. However, it was announced that Trevor had officially retired on 1st May 2009, aged 62, 5 months after the gig in Frome and Paul Dixon became a permanent member. The Cheese & Grain gig also marked Geoff Betts' (Al James) last gig before his retirement.
Catch up with Trev - October 2014
“I was a press knife maker by trade which is where I met Geoff Betts, working on Bardford Street in Leicester, before becoming a professional musician. It wasn’t a hard decision to give up Choise for Showaddywaddy, but it was important to me that Showaddywaddy signed with a label that allowed us to write our own songs. I don’t remember the band’s early gigs such as Margate Ballroom or the David Cassidy tour, but I have good memories of Glasgow Apollo – it was huge and had such a great audience. I also have good memories of playing in Cyprus at a large open-air gig at night".
"Top Of The Pops was hard work for everyone for just three minutes on stage. TV presenters that stick in my mind from years gone by were Noel Edmonds and Chris Tarrant, they were great presenters. I don’t listen to the band’s recordings any more but I’ve kept a lot of footage of the band from over the years. I played drums on couple of TV performances but I wasn’t great, I just got by".
"I played a lot of football over the years in Celebrity XI’s. I remember the actor Jesse Conrad was a good goalie. I also drove American cars during the band’s heyday, and had a Chevrolet Camaro and Cadilliac Eldorado".
"I’m proud of all the songs I wrote, but some of the b-sides were a bit dicey. I didn’t write songs with a particular vocalist in mind, but I wrote Trocadero for Dave and Bill to sing together so they could both share the glory. I had a good partnership with Russ, but I played most of the rhythm. However I played the solos in 'Feelin’' and Malc and Geoff’s 'King Of The Jive'”. My favourite recorded SWW tracks are, 'Hey Rock And Roll', 'Dancin’ Party', 'Trocadero' and 'I’m Yours', and my least favourite is 'Rock ‘n’ Roll Man'. I never chose any of the covers we did. My favourite LP was 'Trocadero' but I don’t really have a worst. 'The Sun Album' was alright too".
"I liked playing the well-known hits at gigs as everyone would dance and sing along to them, but it would have been nice to play a bit more album material. I sang lead vocals on "Sympathy" [b-side recorded in 1986, released in 1990], but was never really interested in singing more lead. But, I sing vocals at gigs I do now and really enjoy it. I sing 'I Don’t Like Rock ‘n’ Roll No More' when I get a spot in town – this should have been a single at the time".
"My high point with the band was shaking hands with the Queen Mother, but I don’t have a low point. At the end of my time in the band, I felt I’d had enough of all the travelling and wanted to settle down and be happy with Caroline and Anna, and to be there for her as she is growing up. I don’t miss playing with the band but have lots of great memories and no bad points".
"I’d like to thank all the fans for all their support over the years – love Trev”.
Announcement 25 March 2026
Dave Bartram (Showaddywaddy 1973 - 2011 and current band manager): "It is with enormous sadness that I sit here today paying tribute to the life of my close friend and songwriting companion Trevor, who passed peacefully away on the morning of Wednesday 18th February 2026, following a long illness. I first met Trevor in 1969 at the now legendary Fosseway Hotel on the outskirts of the city of Leicester, where attending a midweek gig featuring his band Choise we chatted during the interval and instantly hit it off, sharing many similar musical influences, not to mention a burning desire to someday make our own mark on the fiercely competitive rock & roll industry. Barely six months later I found myself proudly fronting the self-same band, and largely thanks to Trevor’s drive and encouragement achieved my initial goal of becoming a professional musician, which some eighteen months later incredibly upon the formation of Showaddywaddy flourished into a successful recording career which stretched beyond our wildest dreams. Trevor and I became firm friends and grew together, not only as musicians, but particularly as ambitious songwriters, literally spending hours, which soon spread to days and months devotedly demoing song after song on his coveted Revox and my own TEAC reel to reel tape decks, initially at our parent’s homes, the results of which would later feature heavily in the vast Showaddywaddy catalogue of albums and singles. Trevor was a unique character and a dedicated professional, without whom the band would never have quite scaled the dizzy heights we seemed destined to achieve. He was also a caring and affectionate family man, with a mischievous sense of humour, which will be sadly missed by all those dear to him. I could write a book about the incredible memories we’ve shared over the past fifty-seven years, but most of all I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his unwavering friendship. Your true friend Dave."
Romeo Challenger (Showaddywaddy 1973 - present): "Trevor Leslie Oakes was a brilliant songwriter who shared royalties with all band members. He will be in my heart forever".
Russ Field (Showaddywaddy 1973 - 1985): "Trevor Oakes - what can I say in just a few words? As the two guitarists in SWW we tried to share the 6 string duties fairly equally, but what I appreciated much more was his songwriting ability. He had an uncanny natural talent to write catchy melodies and lyrics and I think it a great shame that our record company decreed at the time that our commercial future depended on reinventing 'oldies' rather than self-penned originals. Farewell Trevor my friend, may you rest in peace."
Malcom Allured (Showaddywaddy 1973 - 1984): "I first met Trevor way back in 1962 when he was in a band called The Renegades, and our paths continued to cross in the following years in our various bands, latterly when Choise and Golden Hammers merged to form Showaddywaddy - we became great friends during our time in Showaddywaddy, and we kept in touch over more recent years. Thank you for the great memories Trevor, and for the songs, especially Trocadero. See you soon(!)".
Biography: Trevor was one of the founding members of Showaddywaddy from the band's inception in 1973 when Trevor's band Choise merged with another Leicester band, Golden Hammers, to form Showaddywaddy. A sheet metal worker by day, Trevor soon turned pro to pursue his musical ambitions. Trevor was a prolific songwriter during his days with Choise, with this songwriting prowess continuing in Showaddywaddy. Notable songs coming from Trevor's pen included, "Trocadero", "Lookin' Back", "'68 Teenage Queen", "I Don't Like Rock 'n' Roll No More", and his favourite self-penned song, "That's Alright With Me", as well as numerous collaborations with Dave Bartram. When he wasn't playing guitar, he took part in the band's stage/dance routines, and was a key figure in the band's backing vocals and harmonies. Trevor was a keen footballer, often playing in Showbiz XI's in the '70s, '80s and '90s. He described his high point with the band as shaking hands with the Queen Mother, as well as great memories of the band being successful and playing thousands of live shows all over the UK and Europe. He played his last gig with the band in December 2008, moving to Devon where he kept his hand in playing on the local pub scene, before retiring from the music scene and returning to Leicester. Trevor passed away on 18th February 2026 aged 79.