Peter Blair Denis ("Herman") Bernard Noone
Birthdate - November 5Hometown - Manchester, England
Hair - Blond
Eyes - Blue
Karl Anthony GreenBirthdate - July 31Hometown - Salford, England Hair - Blond Eyes - Blue/Gray Derek LeckenbyBirthdate - May 14Hometown - Leeds, England Hair - Blond Eyes - Brown |
Keith HopwoodBirthdate - October 26Hometown - Manchester, England Hair - Fair Eyes - Blue Jan Barry WhitwamBirthdate - July 21Hometown - Manchester, England Hair - Fair Eyes - Brown |
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Peter Noone stepped on a stage one night and started singing. He didn't know it at the time, but he was on his way to becoming known to millions as Herman. The stage was a club in Manchester, England, and a group called the Heartbeats, just a couple of local lads, were playing. He asked if he could join in and sing a few songs. They said yes, and suddenly good things began to happen. The group then realized that Peter had become a part of them and decided to change their name and have a go at the big time. Peter's real name was so long and clumsy that it was natural that he should get a nickname. Well, the other guys decided he looked a lot like a character in the "Bullwinkle" cartoon show. The character's name was really "Sherman", but they thought it was "Herman". So Peter became "Herman," and the group became Herman's Hermits. Peter's floppy blond hair and adorable smile soon became well-known all over England, and finally a string of hit records happened. Then the whole world fell in love with Herman and his just-as-adorable Hermits. At one time, only the Beatles outdrew the Hermits in concert in the United States. Ed Sullivan's first impression of Herman was that color television must have been made for him - with his corn-yellow hair, twinkling blue eyes, and incredible smile. Millions of girls' first impression of him was that here was a guy they should get to know! Those that do know him, know him as a pretty funny character. Despite the fact that he was once voted one of the ten best-dressed men in England by the British clothing manufacturers, Herman prefers to run around in shirts that are three sizes too large. He collects records but rarely has time to listen to them - and digs motorcycling but rarely has time for that either. What he does find time for is his number-one-love - acting. He gained his fame as a singer, but anyone who saw him on stage knew he could act, and it wasn't long before he was proving it in movies and on television. He's a calm and happy fellow who seems almost incapable of anger. Whoever said "good guys never make it" didn't know Herman. Like Herman, Karl Green also collects records, but he manages to find a little more time to listen to them. Karl's the youngest Hermit and the zaniest. He's a natural-born practical joker, and things are never quiet when he's around. He's always the last of the group to arrive |
anywhere but the first to notice the girls around. He's constantly eating, particularly if there's any curry available. His hobbies include reading and swimming, and just about the only things he really dislikes are getting up in the morning and getting his hair cut. You can tell when Karl's happy, because he'll be wearing bright pink shirts with enormous cuff links. Oldest of the group is Derek Leckenby, known as "Lek." Lek dresses casually and smartly, preferring the things he finds in London to those in Manchester. He always wears his glasses - even to bed, according to the other Hermits. He was a very good student at Manchester University before becoming a Hermit and would probably have gone on to higher studies if music hadn't caught his fancy. He's the perfectionist of the group, always demanding that everything be exactly the way it's supposed to be. Steaks and onions are his fave foods. Keith Hopwood is described by friends as "noncommittal." He's relatively quiet and would rather read a good book than paint the town psychedelic. He's usually very agreeable and easy to get along with but will stick to his guns when he's convinced he's right. Keith was a telephone engineer before the group thing happened and might still be fixing phones if Herman hadn't come along. His strange hobby is collecting buttons. Barry Whitwam is the secretive Hermit. He's friendly and terribly sexy, yet few people really know him well. His quiet sexy look is like something Hollywood could never create. The rest of the group call him "Bean" for no apparent reason. Before joining the Hermits he was a hairdresser, and it still shows in his own excellent grooming. His hobbies are water-skiing, swimming, and exploring caves; and his pet peeves are bad hotels and white makeup on girls. Barry often wears a tie and can usually be found standing around watching people, taking everything in without many people even aware that he's there. He has those eyes that seem to see everything yet tell little about what's going on in the mind behind them. His quietness and stability make him a natural complement to Peter's exhuberance, Karl's clowning, Keith's agreeableness, and Lek's perfection thing. They are a well-rounded group, with a little bit of everything for everybody. |