John Beckett has an extensive career spanning over three decades in the music and film industries. At the tender age of 19, he joined Adam and the Ants as the guitarist, known by his stage name Johnny Bivouac, and recorded and toured extensively with the group.
After leaving Adam and the Ants, Beckett established his own studio facility to hone his production and composition skills, while continuing to work with various bands as a guitarist and occasional keyboard player. He refined his skills by working on numerous corporate videos and advertising jingles, eventually composing his first work for mainstream television, the highly acclaimed Carlton/ITV children's series "The Spooks of Bottle Bay", which ran for three series.
Throughout his illustrious career, Beckett has worked on numerous film and television projects, taking on roles such as composer, music producer, music supervisor, and performer. In the 1990s, he became a partner in the successful British independent film and television company Fugitive, initially running the publishing arm, Fugitive Music Ltd. His involvement soon expanded to encompass production, administration, and music supervision, and he is currently a director of the Fugitive Group.
Beckett has also had the opportunity to produce and remix music for a diverse range of artists, including Freddie Mercury, Denise van Outen, and Rolf Harris. He has even dabbled in hardcore techno with the project "Vagen", following his scoring of a three-part series about the history of the Volkswagen Beetle. Beckett continues to use the pseudonym Johnny Bivouac for any guitar credits.
In addition to his work behind the scenes, Beckett has also pursued an acting career, leveraging his musical background to land the role of Strings in the BBC comedy series "Operation Good Guys", where he portrayed a musically frustrated policeman. This led to further roles in the films "Final Cut" and "Love, Honour and Obey".
