Excerpt from The New Collegiate Encyclopedia of Music, Myron G. Hill, ed.
"Lost Boys, The. An English vocal and instrumental ensemble active in the late 16th/ early 17th century, best known for their collaborations with playwright William Shakespeare. While the influence of their performances and the scope and invention of their compositions can be felt to this day, very little specific information concerning the Lost Boys has endured the passing of time. Famed wealthy German expatriate, entrepreneur, and musicologist Anatole Krovny became one of their staunchest patrons and benefactors in the late 1590's, providing regular financial support and acting as an occasional liaison between The Lost Boys and the English and European royalty.
Amongst his many volumes of musical treatises and criticism (see The Complete Works of Anatole Krovny by Norman E. Kyle), Krovny reportedly wrote several extensive essays exploring the principles and implications inherent in the Lost Boys' music, as well as describing the group's social impact on the youth of England, an effect which was quite controversial at the time, and by many considered dangerous. In addition, Krovny was to have constructed a detailed chronology of the Lost Boys' entire career which allegedly contained biographical information on all four of the ensemble's members.
Krovny's belief in the group and his enthusiasm for what he called "a musical revolution of epic proportions" even led him to build a small public gallery in his London residence which for years contained many Lost Boys artifacts including instruments, original manuscripts of lyrics and music, and several of their magnificent teal stage costumes. A tragic fire in the late 1620's destroyed Krovny's home, consuming the entire collection and rendering much of the Lost Boys' legacy a matter of rumor and conjecture. Krovny, himself, perished in the blaze.
From what information survives, the modern scholar can glean this much: the earliest record of the Lost Boys' existence comes in the form of a manuscript, dated 1592, of an a cappella setting of "Who Is Sylvia?" from William Shakespeare's Two Gentleman of Verona, discovered in an early edition of the First Folio. The Lost Boys' connection with Shakespeare is unclear, and while there is no evidence that any of them were ever a member of either the Lord Chamberlain's Men or the King's Men, it is certain that they were active in London and abroad by the early 1590's, and often performed at some of the same venues as Shakespeare's acting troupes, including, eventually, the Globe. In addition, the theatrical nature of the Lost Boys' stage presentation is legendary, indicating that some sort of association with the world of Shakespeare's actors appears likely. Evidence also suggests that the Lost Boys provided Shakespeare with music for some of his greatest plays including Othello, Hamlet, and As You Like It, though no score has as yet surfaced to confirm this.
The Lost Boys were comprised of four members. Their primary composer was known only as String, and while evidence of formal musical training is clear from the few scores that remain, his specific background is unknown.
Percussionist Michael Starr was considered to be a true innovator in his field, and was rumored to have spent many years prior to joining the group travelling and studying in the Middle East and Asia.
Many site Johnny Ozbourne as the inventor of an instrument that by description appears to have been essentially the ancestor of the modern bass guitar. Ozbourne was also renowned for his commanding stage presence and the strength and range of his singing voice (in a side note, an entry in the registry of the Royal Guard from 1590 describes a scandal concerning a young officer named Johnny Ozbourne arrested in an ale house along with several young women, but this may simply be coincidence).
The final Lost Boy, Clarence, was thought by some to have been a replacement for an earlier member (one source describes a pan flute player who died in a bizarre shepherding accident), but his contribution to the ensemble both vocally and instrumentally appears to have been indispensable. Often known as "the Destroyer," Clarence's aggressive approach to his instrument led to several developments in the design and construction of the early guitar, especially in the areas of power and volume.
Reports vary as to the widespread nature of the Lost Boys' fame and influence. While their popularity in the various taverns and halls where they performed is indisputable, criticism from their peers was not always kind. Lutenist and composer John Dowland would say only, "I never liked them," while Thomas Campion would often exclaim, "I'd be incarcerated if I ever attempted anything like that!" One fellow musician compared String's harmonic innovations favorably to the work of Italian composer Carlo Gesualdo (the Lost Boys were reported to have toured Italy in 1602 where they completely offended the Florentine Camerata), but many were simply baffled by the garish teal clothing and the extreme physicality of the "Bonny Boys in Blue," as they were sometimes called.
Indeed, riots were commonplace after more exuberant Lost Boys appearances, and on one occasion, described in Krovny's journals, the group was dragged from the stage during a performance and confined to the Tower of London, unjustly accused of encouraging their audience to demolish the common room of an inn where they had performed on the previous night. Only through Krovny's intervention were the charges dismissed, imploring Queen Elizabeth herself. Ironically, after an ensuing Royal Command Performance, the Lost Boys became a regular entertainment for the English nobility, all amidst exclamations of, "how shocking!" and, "they're scandalous!" from the delighted members of the royal court (an item of gossip from the period had it that Elizabeth was quite taken with Clarence, but this is unconfirmed).
The last known appearance of the Lost Boys came in the late spring of 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon. Reports are inconclusive, but it is thought to have been a function honoring the passing of Shakespeare who died that April and was buried in Holy Trinity Church.
The activities of the Lost Boys beyond that point are shrouded in mystery. Strange circumstances surrounded the Krovny fire involving a visit to the estate just prior to the accident by a woman claiming personal involvement with the group (A wife? A lover? A daughter?). Part of Krovny's last journal survived to describe her request for a pair of Michael Starr's drum sticks, but after the inferno, the woman was never seen again.
Such was England's fascination with the group that "teal sightings" were reported well into the late 1600's, but what actually became of these four innovative musicians none can say. What does remain are a handful of scores, some bits of text, and a few first hand accounts of a musical phenomenon that appears to have been four centuries ahead of it's time. The rest is legend.
Myron G. Hill, April 8, 2001"
Clarence- Guitar, percussion, vocals
Johnny Ozbourne- Bass guitar, vocals
Michael Starr- Drums, guitar, percussion, vocals
String- Guitar, lute, fretless bass, percussion, violin, vocals
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