Jona Lewie

Award winning singer-songwriter, producer and musician Jona Lewie has an illustrious career in the music business. Born John Lewis, Lewie emerged in the early-70’s pub rock scene, playing keyboard for Brett Marvin & The Thunderbolts who later became the Lewie-led Terry Dactyl; scoring a UK hit in 1972 with zydeco smash hit “Seaside Shuffle”. Lewie has been celebrated for piano playing with blues legend Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and won an Ivor Novello Award for Christmas perennial hit “Stop The Cavalry”. Throughout his career Lewie has enjoyed chart successes internationally not only with “Stop The Cavalry”, but also with tracks such as “Louise, Cos We Get It Right”, “You Will Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties”, and “I Think I’ll Get My Haircut”. Lewie started to record for Stiff Records in 1977 , and became the longest serving, and arguably one of the most successful acts in Europe for Dave Robinson’s label, staying with Stiff until it’s liquidation in 1987. In perhaps the most spectacularly unexpected success for Stiff, Lewie’s anti-war protest song “Stop The Cavalry” featuring a brass band full of festive sentimentality has become a mainstay of Christmas compilations and playlists for decades following its release in 1980.