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Mike Pender

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mike Penders or Mike Pinder.

Mike Pender
MBE
Pender in 1965
Pender in 1965
Background information
Birth nameMichael John Prendergast
Born (1941-03-03) 3 March 1941 (age 83)
Kirkdale, Liverpool, England
GenresRock, pop
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar
Years active1950s–present
Member ofMike Pender's Searchers
Formerly ofThe Searchers, The Corporation
Websitemikependersearchers.co.uk

Michael John Prendergast MBE[1][2] (born 3 March 1941), known professionally by the stage name Mike Pender, is an English musician. He was an original founding member of Merseybeat group the Searchers.[3] He left The Searchers in 1985 to form his own version of the band, fittingly named Mike Pender's Searchers, which has been active since 1985. Pender was made an MBE in the 2020 New Year Honours for his services to music.[1][2]

Biography

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Michael John Prendergast was born in Kirkdale, Liverpool. He started playing guitar at age fourteen. "Every Sunday we'd visit my paternal grandfather and there'd be a guitar in the parlour. He'd take it to the pub for people to play during sing-songs. I picked it up, thinking, 'How on earth does somebody play one of these?' Then when I was about 14, I swapped my collection of American comics for a battered acoustic guitar and practised every night and taught myself."[4]

Main article: The Searchers (band)

In his early years, Pender worked at a printing company (Charles Birchall & Sons (Liverpool) Ltd.) as a day job.[4] He worked at the printing company in the daytime in between playing nightly gigs with the Searchers. According to Pender, he is responsible for choosing the band name for the Searchers. "The band was founded by myself and John McNally. In 1957 John and I went to see the film The Searchers starring John Wayne. I was an ardent Western fan and so I dragged John along with me to see it. I take the credit for choosing the name 'the Searchers' and for co-founding the band in its original form".[5]

Pender left the Searchers in 1985 to form his own new version of the group. In 1988, Pender joined the one-time supergroup The Corporation. That band included lead singers from other 1960s groups: the members were Pender, Brian Poole (Brian Poole & The Tremeloes), Clem Curtis (The Foundations), Tony Crane (The Merseybeats) and Reg Presley (The Troggs).[6]

Pender is known for using and his 12-string Rickenbacker Rose Morris model 1993 guitar, which is referenced in the book Electric Guitars, The Illustrated Encyclopedia, by the author and guitar enthusiast Tony Bacon.[7]

Personal life

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Pender and his wife May live in a converted barn near Malpas.[4]

As a result of creative differences, rifts between the two, and problems over Pender's 1985 departure, McNally and Pender no longer talk, and reportedly McNally refused to shake Pender's hand at Chris Curtis' funeral in 2005.[8][9] McNally claimed in a later interview that his refusal wasn't in a mean way but just that given the time and place it "just felt wrong".[9]

On 2 June 2009, Pender's son, Nathan, aged thirty-nine, was riding home from work on his motorcycle, when he was hit and knocked off his vehicle.[10] Nathan died two days later, from complications of a head injury sustained from the accident.[10] Forty-nine year-old police officer Eric Hulse was arrested for hitting and killing Prendergast.[10]

Pender announced he would temporarily step down from touring for around six months, starting from December 2022:[11]

I will have a break for about six months. My wife and I will be doing a bit of travelling around the world which will be nice to do.

Honours

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Pender was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to music.[1][2]

Discography

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With The Searchers

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Main article: The Searchers discography
Mike Pender's Searchers albums Solo albums Solo singles
  • That Was Then This Is Now
  • Mike Pender's Searchers (1989)
  • Sweets for My Sweet (1990)
  • Best of Mike Pender's Searchers
  • Needles & Pins
  • Mike Pender's Searchers Live!
  • It's Over"/"Brother and Sisters (1986)

Literature

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  • Mike Pender: The Search for Myself (Malpas: Genuine Article, 2014) ISBN 0993121306

References

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  1. ^ a b c "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N21.
  2. ^ a b c "Order of the British Empire, Michael John Prendergast". The Gazette. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2019.
  3. ^ "Tony Jackson", The Times, 20 August 2003, archived from the original on 4 June 2011
  4. ^ a b c "'Where Are They Now?' - Daily Express article Latest MPS News item Mike Pender's Searchers". www.mikependersearchers.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  5. ^ "The Searchers' History". www.rickresource.com. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Brian Poole & The Tremeloes". www.45-rpm.org.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
  7. ^ Bacon, Tony (2000). Electric Guitars, The Illustrated Encyclopedia (1st ed.). Califronia: Thunder Bay Press. ISBN 978-1571452818.
  8. ^ "'A Cracking Read'! Latest MPS News item Mike Pender's Searchers". www.mikependersearchers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b writewyattuk (2 June 2017). "Still acting nonchalant with The Searchers – the John McNally interview". writewyattuk. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Stewart, Gary (19 July 2010). "Merseyside policeman to stand trial after The Searchers' Mike Pender's son is killed in road traffic collision". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Mike Pender interview". November 2022.
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