Elvis karaoke world record attempt in memory of the legendary Brockabilly

A 44 hour Elvis karaoke world record attempt is taking place in Bideford this September in memory of North Devon’s very own ‘Elvis’ – Brockabilly.

Phil Brock aka Brockabilly passed away from cancer aged 55 just before lockdown in March 2020 and his family were denied the opportunity to hold a fitting celebration of his life.

Now his son-in-law Sam Stephens is attempting to beat the solo Elvis karaoke record by singing virtually non-stop for 44 hours and raising money for local charity ChemoHero.

Above: Over the years Phil Brock played ‘rockabilly’ with various bands but his later Elvis persona as Brockabilly was always very popular.

Sam will begin his bid to beat the existing record of 42 hours on Thursday, September 4 at The Pollyfield centre in Bideford.

He aims to sing Elvis right through until Saturday evening when there will be a charity concert at 7pm headlined by Phil’s old band The Jukes, supported by Malachite and Unrivalled.

Entry is free but it will be suggested people make a donation to ChemoHero, which provides ‘boxes of kindness’ for local cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Sam, 36, is married to Phil’s daughter Sabrina but sadly Phil never got to see her walk down the aisle as he passed away just a couple of weeks before.

Phil loved 1950s rock ‘n’ roll and began singing at 12-years-old – over the years he was in various local bands with a rockabilly flavour, from The Prairie Dogs to The Dimestore Gamblers and The Jukes.

Above: Phil performing with The Prairie Dogs

His solo act as Brockabilly was hugely popular and he was always in great demand for pub gigs, festivals, weddings and he supported many charity events.

A quiet and shy man, when he donned his ‘Elvis’ persona he was transformed and always brought a venue to life with his show.

Sam, who recently started up his own electrical wholesale business in Bideford called Buzz Electrical, has no previous singing experience except the occasional karaoke on a night out, but hopes he can stay the course and do justice to Phil’s memory.

He said: “I have looked at voice exercises and warm ups to try and help my vocal chords but apart from that, the aim is just to stay awake! You are permitted a five minute break per hour.

“Phil passed away just before lockdown so his funeral was restricted and we could not do a wake or hold a celebration of his life.

“It’s always been something on my list to hold some sort of event and a music night in celebration of his life.”

Above: Back in the day - Phil Brock, second left, loved 1950s rock ‘n’ roll and performed with bands most of his life.

The centre will stay open throughout, with witnesses on hand to verify the challenge. The Pollyfield has offered its premises for free and Sam will meet any costs associated with the event, while the bands are playing for free.

Sam added: “I knew Phil for 10 years and we wanted to do something to celebrate him, he was very popular - he always did all the charity events, Bideford Music Day, the Bike Show and a lot of others. His mum Lucille and I used to watch him all the time. He did a lot of charity work.

“I remember one year, when a little girl turned on the Bideford Christmas lights, she liked watching Phil and so he joined her on the stage to sing a live song on the night.”

If you would like to donate to ChemoHero and sponsor Sam's challenge, please go to Samuel Stephens is fundraising for ChemoHero