Hank Marvin

Hank Marvin was born as Brian Robson Rankin at 138 Stanhope Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. His father was an army officer. He played banjo and piano. After hearing Buddy Holly he decided to learn the guitar and also adopted Holly-style dark-rimmed glasses. He chose his stage name while launching his career. It is an amalgamation of his childhood nickname, Hank, and the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater.

When Ian Grant had the idea of recording a version of Let There Be Drums for our Think Loud 4 Parkinson's album, the question of who would play the twangy guitar part arose and Ian's wife Debbie suggested we ask Hank. Thankfully he said yes and even appeared live from his Perth, Australia home on BBC Breakfast in April 2025.