Vic Flick, Guitarist Who Performed the James Bond Theme Song, Dies at 87
Famous British guitarist Victor Harold Flick, best known as Vic Flick, has passed away after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. His family confirmed the sad news on Facebook. The 87-year-old was best known for playing guitar on the iconic James Bond theme song, which first premiered on Dr. No.
Flick was also known for playing with some huge artists on their hit songs as well, including the Beatles, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, Peter and Gordon, and many more. He collaborated with Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Dusty Springfield, and Engelbert Humperdinck, among others.
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He began his career in the 1950s, playing with the band John Barry Seven (pictured above). After landing the gig as the lead guitarist on the James Bond theme song, he continued to contribute to James Bond soundtracks in the ’60s through ’80s. The guitar that he played the original James Bond theme with, a Clifford Essex Paragon De Luxe, was displayed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Later, he continued to work on James Bond projects, including the James Bond tribute album Bond Back in Action, the album James Bond Now, and the soundtrack of the From Russia With Love video game.
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In 2012, he played the theme song for a live audience at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, where he was honored for “The Music of Bond: The First 50 Years.” A year later, he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Guitar Museum. If you’re interested in learning more about his life and career, he wrote an autobiography in 2008 called Vic Flick Guitarman: From James Bond to The Beatles and Beyond, which you can find on Amazon. He is survived by his wife, son and grandson.
1968 Retrospective
January 2018
This special expanded issue celebrates all things pop culture in 1968.
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