ZIG BYFIELD

From a Salvation Army background, his parents being ministers in the Salvation Army, to the world of rock and roll bands (he started singing for rock bands in 1959), cabaret, Zig’s career blossomed into one of our finest TV character actors, a fully fledged musical performer and a rock singer. His major roles in musicals such as Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Mother Earth and The Rocky Horror Show have employed him in the West End and on tours of the UK, Europe and Japan.
He has appeared in many films, including Who Dares Wins, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Slayground and Goldeneye, whilst his TV appearances are numerous.
Recognised as one of the classic villains on the small screen, he has featured in The Bill (on many occasions), Casualty, Minder, The Professionals, Chancer, The Manageress, One Foot in the Grave, Only Fools and Horses, The Knock, Waking The Dead, The Ghost Hunters and Holby City and Inspector Morse. One of his biggest roles was in Yesterday’s Dreams, a six-part serial in which he starred with Paul Freeman and Judy Loe for Central TV.
He has released two albums, Running, which featured his own and Peter Perchard’s compositions and attracted excellent reviews and radio interest, and reached no.5 in the airplay charts, and Yesterday’s Dreams, inspired by the television series and his love of the old rock ‘n’ roll love songs.
For many years Zig has been, and remains an enthusiastic Independent distributor for Neways non toxic personal care and healthcare products.
He now resides in LA, well, Littlehampton, and can be seen cruising the south coast in a large white Mercedes.
When asked if Zig would change anything in his life he has been quoted as saying 'no way, listen. When I was about 13 or 14 I discovered rock 'n' roll and girls' wobbly bits, and I feel as though I've been at a party ever since'.

PETER PERCHARD

Peter started his working life on women’s magazines, Flair and Modern Woman at the giant publishing emporium IPC. He moved on to the New Musical Express, where amongst his roles was to stage the giant NME Poll Concerts at Wembley: on the same bill would be the Beatles, Stones, Animals, Kinks, Walker Brothers, Cliff Richard, Roy Orbison, Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield. At the 1965 concert the four Beatles awaiting backstage to go on had to be fuelled with his chewing gum such was the state of their nerves! This was during the time of the British beat boom
And the NME at the time sold 285,000 copies weekly. He met the up and coming David Bowie and passed judgement on his early recordings, spent most nights at The Scotch of St James, The Marquee or The Cromwellian, and even drove in through the gates of Buckingham Palace and then out again in Andrew Oldham’s white Rolls Royce!
After brief stints working with Billy Fury and The British Museum, he joined Penguin Books where he stayed 18 years. He began running an exhibitions team driving the length and breadth of the UK in a 4-ton orange van and spreading the Penguin gospel, before moving on to marketing and publicity.
A change of direction in 1986 saw him join The Cricketer magazine, the oldest and world’s best-selling cricket magazine, where he was Editor for 17 years. He also published a book Cricket, a history and guide to the game, in 1988. He now works part-time for Waterstone's, the UK’s finest bookseller.
His writing, which began with poetry and songs, is just one of his many passions. They include music, films, theatre, food, photography, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and, most significantly, Chelsea FC, whose blue blood has coursed through his veins for five decades.