Jean Westwood, formerly Jean Hawker, and born Jean Ryder, has passed away in Spain after a long illness.
The Breakaways - l-r Vicki Brown, Jean Hawker, Margo Quantrell
Jean was an original Vernons Girl from the “Oh Boy!” TV shows, going on to form the Two Tones with Maggie Stredder. In 1963 Jean joined Vicki Haseman (later to become Vicki Brown after marrying Joe Brown) & Margo Quantrell, filling a vacancy in The Breakaways. They cut numerous singles without troubling the charts, but, as backing singers, they had a string of hits for almost everyone in London - Petula Clark, Billie Davis, Cilla Black, Alma Cogan, and of course Dusty. Jean’s husband Mike Hawker co-wrote I Only Want To Be With You, Stay Awhile, Your Hurtin’ Kinda Love, and I Wish I’d Never Loved You, and The Breakaways sang background on Dusty’s recordings of those songs, and all of her first album.
Throughout the 60s they sang with everyone who recorded in London - famously on Hey Joe by Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Jean was also a member of the James Last Choir for a time in the 1970’s, touring with Kay Garner ,Lyn Cornell, and Sue & Sunny.