John Henry Rostill (16 June 1942 – 26 November 1973) was an English musician, bassist and composer, recruited by the Shadows to replace Brian Locking[1] in autumn 1963.
Born in Kings Norton, Birmingham, England, Rostill attended Rutlish School in south London (1953–59).
He also played in the bands recruited to back such visiting artists as the Everly Brothers and Tommy Roe.
Stylistically, Rostill combined the solidity of Brian Locking and the adventurousness of Jet Harris.
Unusually for that time, Rostill sometimes played bass finger-style as well as with a plectrum, depending on the sound he wanted.
Rostill was a prolific songwriter, contributing to the Shadows' output from the start (both as a solo composer and as part of the mid-sixties "Marvin/Welch/Bennett/Rostill" team).