An audience without Jake Thackray
An affectionate remembrance of
his wit and wisdom

• John's own website
• An Audience without Les Barker and Jake Thackray
• Two Idiots and an Absent Friend - Les Barker Show with John Watterson and Keith Donnelly

CELEBRATING THE LIFE AND WORK OF ONE OF OUR FINEST AND FUNNIEST WORDSMITHS

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John Watterson has performed the songs of Jake Thackray at festivals, concerts, clubs, after dinner venues and to members of Jake’s family. 

Leeds-born Jake Thackray (1938-2002) is increasingly recognised as being one of the greatest English songwriters of the twentieth century, a unique talent, whose songs are full of poetry, wit, irreverence and humanity. He became known to millions through his regular appearances in the 1960s and 1970s on programmes such as Braden’s Week and That’s Life. Since his death in obscurity there has been growing recognition of his genius and a resurgence of interest in his work. His admirers include Jarvis Cocker, Alex Turner, Don Black, Thea Gilmore, Cerys Matthews, Benjamin Clementine and Neil Gaiman.

Sir Richard Stilgoe
“Jake would have loved the skill of the performance, the accuracy of the impression, and the affection it contains. Long may John continue to keep Jake’s memory alive so affectionately and skilfully, and introduce more people to one of the most remarkable talents I ever met.”

John Watterson is the UK’s leading performer of Jake’s songs. As Fake Thackray he has toured with Fairport Convention and performed at Latitude, Cropredy and the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. He has also played for Jake’s family. John has appeared many times on radio, including Radio 4’s Great Lives, a Radio 2 documentary on Jake presented by Cerys Matthews and Radio 3’s The Verb hosted by Ian McMillan.  Most recently he appeared on TVs Meet the Richardsons with Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont.

Sister Josephine, written by Jake Thackray and performed by John Watterson backed by Fairport Convention.

Mike Harding
‘Brilliant! We can’t have Jake back but this is the next best thing.’  

The show includes many Jake classics (Sister Josephine, On Again On Again, The Bantam Cock and others), anecdotes from John’s research into Jake’s life for the recently published biography as well as some of the ‘lost’ Thackray songs John has rediscovered and recorded on his CD, The Lost Will and Testament of Jake Thackray.

Here's a full concert recorded at the half Moon, Putney

Victor Lewis-Smith (Producer, 'Jake on the Box' BBC 4)
 ‘Wonderful stuff, bringing some of Jake's long-forgotten gems back to life. Brilliantly performed songs, with uncannily precise enunciation, and accurately capturing the unique Thackray guitar style. If Jake was right, and there really is an afterlife, he'll undoubtedly be looking down and giving his gruff approval.’

Here's a sampler of John singing from his new album The Lost Will and Testament of Jake Thackray.

FOR FESTIVALS - if you book Keith Donnelly and John Watterson, you can also have TWO IDIOTS AND AN ABSENT FRIEND - The Les Barker Tribute.

Shows Now Booking for 2027

2026

Fri 18 Sep
Liphook Folk Club

Sun 20 Sep
Wetherby Folk Club

Thu 8 Oct
The Spring, Havant

Tue 13 Oct
St Neot's Folk Club

Wed 14 Oct
Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

Tue 20 Oct
Banbury Folk Club

Sat 24 Oct
Framework Knitters, Ruddington, Notts

2027

Sat 16 Jan
Folk in the Barn, Kent

Thur 28 Jan
Darlington Folk Club