UK Singles Chart

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

33 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Frijid Pink.

 

Hmmm, finding it hard to find anything on Gary Ray Thompson other than he seems to have originated from Wyandotte, Michigan. This seems to be his myspace profile - I don't know how you work these things: https://myspace.com/thompsonslastchassis

 

Rather more tenuous leads on Tom Harris. Full name seems to have been Thomas Earl Harris, originating from Florence, Alabama (apparently he moved to Detroit at some point prior to joining the group). Now there is an obituary here for a Thomas Earl Harris where the guest book is full of his singing and playing bass (Harris' instrument in Frijid Pink). https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rockymounttelegram/obituary.aspx?n=thomas-earl-harris&pid=123517878 The dob of 1948 seems promising - could we get "lucky" again, if you can tie this to Harris?

Found Gary using Wyandotte.

So on Ancestry there's a record for a Gary R Thompson, resident of Wyandotte 1966 b. 28 Feb 1949.

Then there's this from June 2013...

"As for the other original members: Kelly Green still lives in Michigan, but has had some health problems and recently underwent a quadruple bypass; Gary Thompson lives in Grosse Isle and is still playing guitar; and Tom Harris is currently playing bass in a covers band."

Looked up Gary Thompson + Michigan on ClustrMaps and there's only one in Grosse Isle. Gary Thompson b. 21 Feb 1949. 

One of the records has the date slightly off... probably the latter residency one. Clustrmaps does have errors... let's go for 28th Feb 49, but anyway it's him!

I've found Harris too. The above obit isn't him. I again used Clustrmaps. The above 2013 link mentions he was resident in Allen Park, a suburb of Detroit. I put Thomas Harris into Michigan, got 100s of results, cut it down to Detroit then Allen Park and it only leaves one individual – a Thomas Earl Harris who was born 19 Aug 1951.

Now I'm just pissed off we can't find Kelly Green (or Thomas Beaudry as he was actually called). Seeing as he died after 2013, there doesn't seem to be a death record up on Ancestry, yet. May have to wait a few years.
 

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

25 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Fox.

 

I found a few interviews with Fox from the mid-1970s - nothing which gave away Jim Frank's age, despite him really being the main interviewee after Noosha! I did however find this, which might be of help, although I'm not sure what it is - a graduation note? https://alumni.ecolint.ch/blogpost/1334433/239923/Jim-Frank-LGB-68 Maybe he's not actually English if he was at school in Switzerland!

 

If that's of no help, let me know and I'll have another root around.

Came across this link earlier actually. I was going to jot in c. 1950 then I thought to myself "Don't kid yourself, you know nothing about international school systems". 

Hmmm I'll leave it be for the time being. How is it that groups like Parliament-Funkadelic can have over 250 members and there's plenty online about every single one of them and yet 3-6 member bands can't even get their basic bio details out there?

[YoungWillz 21,294]

32 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Found Gary using Wyandotte.

So on Ancestry there's a record for a Gary R Thompson, resident of Wyandotte 1966 b. 28 Feb 1949.

Then there's this from June 2013...

"As for the other original members: Kelly Green still lives in Michigan, but has had some health problems and recently underwent a quadruple bypass; Gary Thompson lives in Grosse Isle and is still playing guitar; and Tom Harris is currently playing bass in a covers band."

Looked up Gary Thompson + Michigan on ClustrMaps and there's only one in Grosse Isle. Gary Thompson b. 21 Feb 1949. 

One of the records has the date slightly off... probably the latter residency one. Clustrmaps does have errors... let's go for 28th Feb 49, but anyway it's him!

I've found Harris too. The above obit isn't him. I again used Clustrmaps. The above 2013 link mentions he was resident in Allen Park, a suburb of Detroit. I put Thomas Harris into Michigan, got 100s of results, cut it down to Detroit then Allen Park and it only leaves one individual – a Thomas Earl Harris who was born 19 Aug 1951.

Now I'm just pissed off we can't find Kelly Green (or Thomas Beaudry as he was actually called). Seeing as he died after 2013, there doesn't seem to be a death record up on Ancestry, yet. May have to wait a few years.
 

If it's of any help, Beaudry also hailed from Wyandotte.

 

I guess in a country as big as the USA there must be more than one Thomas Earl Harris who loved playing bass guitar!

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

53 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

If it's of any help, Beaudry also hailed from Wyandotte.

 

I guess in a country as big as the USA there must be more than one Thomas Earl Harris who loved playing bass guitar!

Ah yes of course. Sorry, half asleep today.

Here are their photos from the 1966 Roosevelt High School year book (both resident in Wyandotte at the time). 



Thomas A. Beaudry

   

Gary Thompson

I can't even identify them in the pics of Frijid Pink. I guess that's what hard rock does to you!

Anyway, says Beaudry was born c. 1950.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

On 29/02/2020 at 20:01, Ulitzer95 said:

Freddie Bell and the Bellboys
Wiki American vocal group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Elvis Presley covered Hound Dog after seeing them perform it, one of the first U.S. groups to tour the U.K. (supporting Tommy Steele in 1956), Kenney was murdered in Florida in 1971
Freddie Bell 29 Sep 1931 – 10 Feb 2008 (76) Guardian obit
Frankie Brent 09 Mar 1934 – 26 Aug 2002 (68) Ancestry page
Russ Conti 20 Oct 1933 – 03 May 1992 (58) Ancestry page
Jack Kane no info available
Chick Keeney (aka Louis Cicchini) n/a – 1971 
Jerry Mayo 31 Aug 1934 – 10 Jun 2011 (76) Local obit
28/09/1956 Giddy-Up-a-Ding-Dong #4
NB: Probable that this entire act is now dead as Mayo's obit refers to him as the last surviving member. However, these write ups are often wrong so I'm not banking on this.
NB2: A bit of digging reveals Chick Keeney (alternative spellings: Chic or Keeny) was called Louis Joseph Cicchini. I can't find him on Ancestry but this book mentions that he was murdered and his body was found in a car in Florida. NY Times coverage of the subsequent trial in 1978 here and here.
 

Well this project was always going to throw up a few surprises.

Drummer Chick Keeney isn't only dead. He was murdered by the mob in 1971 and his body decomposed!

"Mr. Bowdach said he had asked Mr. Cicchini to meet him at a Miami used car dealership which he used as a front for loansharking. When Mr. Cicchini arrived, he said, he and four friends killed him by first hitting him with “a rolled bar of steel,” then shooting him with a spear gun and finally shooting him several times with a gun. "We used a 100‐pound bag of quick lye” on the body, Mr. Bowdach testified. “It decomposes the skin and organs.” He said the body was buried in North Miami, but that he believed his accomplices later moved the body."

 

[YoungWillz 21,294]

On ‎29‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 20:01, Ulitzer95 said:

 
The Bystanders
Discogs UK rock group, later evolved into Man
Clive John Jul 1945 – 24 Aug 2011 (66) Death notice
Jeff Jones no info available
Micky Jones 07 Jun 1946 – 10 Mar 2010 (63) BBC obit
Vic Oakley 1942 – Living
Ray Williams 1943 – Dec 1993 (~50) Mention of death
09/02/1967 98.6 #45

 

Jeff Jones is a nightmare. Plenty of interviews but nothing but the following.

 

Termed Jeffrey Jones on a few early captions. Band formed in Merthyr Tydfil. Then there is this from last year:  

So possible to contact Owen Money through his Twitter and find out where Jeff is now?

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

26 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

 

Jeff Jones is a nightmare. Plenty of interviews but nothing but the following.

 

Termed Jeffrey Jones on a few early captions. Band formed in Merthyr Tydfil. Then there is this from last year:  

So possible to contact Owen Money through his Twitter and find out where Jeff is now?

Cheers. I will try and reach out.

A few updates to the 50s/60s from today (I'm randomly selecting acts to have a second go on):

The Casinos – added the deaths of Glen Hughes and Joe Patterson after finding mentions of them on a message board (seems to be a good go to along with the YouTube comments section when all else fails!). Bolton, Dalton and White appear to be living. Can't find anything on Hawkins or Mathews.

Duane Eddy and The Rebels – I got in touch with the Duane Eddy fan club. Nobody has any idea what happened to Jimmy Troxel who is the last blank in that section. They even contacted his local musicians union for me and they know nothing. *sigh* I guess there's some we'll never get to the bottom of. Still, the 50s/60s section is looking a lot more complete than the 70s is!

[YoungWillz 21,294]

On ‎29‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 20:02, Ulitzer95 said:

The Ian Campbell Folk Group
Wiki UK folk group founded in Birmingham in 1956, disbanded in 1978, Swarbrick later joined Fairport Covention then had a successful solo career, Dunkerley died from Hodgkin's disease in April 1977
Ian Campbell 10 Jun 1933 – 24 Nov 2012 (79) Telegraph obit
Lorna Campbell no info available
Brian Clark no info available
John Dunkerley 10 May 1942 – 25 Apr 1977 (34)
Dave Swarbrick 05 Apr 1941 – 03 Jun 2016 (75) BBC obit
11/03/1965 The Times They Are A-Changin' #42

 

I'd have thought there was enough information in Ian Campbell's obituaries to track down Lorna and Brian. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9871361/Ian-Campbell.html and https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/28/ian-campbell

 

Lorna was the younger sister of Ian so born to Elizabeth and David Campbell in Aberdeen, other sisters Debbie (Deborah, Debra?) and Billy (I'm assuming that's Wilhelmina?). She was a teenager in the mid-1950s and if the Telegraph is to be believed she was married to Brian Clark by at least 1962 and that is likely to have been in Birmingham. That marriage seems to have gone by the mid-1970s through divorce.

 

I see Brian Clark has a FB page, I haven't linked it as there's nothing about him unless of course he's given summat away.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

51 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

I'd have thought there was enough information in Ian Campbell's obituaries to track down Lorna and Brian. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9871361/Ian-Campbell.html and https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/28/ian-campbell

 

Lorna was the younger sister of Ian so born to Elizabeth and David Campbell in Aberdeen, other sisters Debbie (Deborah, Debra?) and Billy (I'm assuming that's Wilhelmina?). She was a teenager in the mid-1950s and if the Telegraph is to be believed she was married to Brian Clark by at least 1962 and that is likely to have been in Birmingham. That marriage seems to have gone by the mid-1970s through divorce.

 

I see Brian Clark has a FB page, I haven't linked it as there's nothing about him unless of course he's given summat away.

GRO:

Marriages: October 1967
CAMPBELL, LORNA + CLARK, BRIAN N.
BIRMINGHAM

Scotland's People (which doesn't supply mother's maiden name on certificates after a certain date, so it's guess work):

4x Lorna Campbell born in Aberdeen (1939, 1942, 1945, 1948). 1939 is the most likely but I suppose it could be 1942, at a push 1945?

Ancestry:

Nothing. Bar the repeated marriage certificate from above. Can't find her in any electoral rolls/census records.

There is a Lorna M Campbell who married a Steven R Clark in Birmingham in 1982. Did she relocate to Birmingham permanently? Regardless, doesn't provide anymore information. Any ideas? 
 

[YoungWillz 21,294]

Back to The Cascades.

 

The band seemed to be involved in some outrageous beach party movie Catalina Caper.

 

From that, we get David Szabo's full birth date and a birth date of 1937 for Eddie (sometimes Eddy) Snyder. Unfortunately David Stevens entry gives us nothing, perhaps both Snyder and Stevens weren't born in San Diego.

 

I also found reference to Eddie Snyder recording country music under the name Eddie Preston here, looks like the late 1980s: https://geetoni.wordpress.com/tag/eddie-snyder/ and this is backed up by the blurb on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXClMjTHmJ4

 

The most recent comment on that video is from a week ago, seems to have lived in Seattle at some point, married to Jackie who may have died. Seems a genuine comment.

 

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

I stand corrected. Just found this:

 

Name	MS Lorna Campbell
Birth	1939-1941
Residence	2003-2007 Birmingham West Midlands England

 

Safe to assume the '39 Aberdeen birth is her I reckon. Updated.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

19 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Back to The Cascades.

 

The band seemed to be involved in some outrageous beach party movie Catalina Caper.

 

From that, we get David Szabo's full birth date and a birth date of 1937 for Eddie (sometimes Eddy) Snyder. Unfortunately David Stevens entry gives us nothing, perhaps both Snyder and Stevens weren't born in San Diego.

 

I also found reference to Eddie Snyder recording country music under the name Eddie Preston here, looks like the late 1980s: https://geetoni.wordpress.com/tag/eddie-snyder/ and this is backed up by the blurb on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXClMjTHmJ4

 

The most recent comment on that video is from a week ago, seems to have lived in Seattle at some point, married to Jackie who may have died. Seems a genuine comment.

 

Cheers! I never think to check IMDb because it normally just has blanks for many musicians.

According to Ancestry, both Szabo and Snyder hailed from (or at least lived in) San Diego. Szabo's DOB from IMDb checks out. Snyder's doesn't. I've found records in San Diego of him and Jackie and they give his birth as c. 1942.

Updated.

[YoungWillz 21,294]

It's great - minimising the missing now we are a bit more au fait with the searching!

 

Anyway, I believe that's bedtime!

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

Ah wait. Found him.

Edward Preston Snyder
b. 9 Oct 1941, San Diego

[YoungWillz 21,294]

1 minute ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Ah wait. Found him.

Edward Preston Snyder
b. 9 Oct 1941, San Diego

Makes sense with the Eddie Preston name for his country music!

[YoungWillz 21,294]

The Cats.

 

Information here on Archer and Okoro to complete the line up: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FU4YAQAAIAAJ&q="Michael+okoro"+drummer&dq="Michael+okoro"+drummer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi3vcT7kuPqAhXMVRUIHbUWAsUQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg

[YoungWillz 21,294]

The Chantays.

 

Missing member is Bob Welch (not Welsh). Now according to Billboard from April 1963, he was 17 then, making him ages with the other band members apart from Warren who was older: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YQsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq="Bob+Welch"+"Chantays"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiftbSImOPqAhVcVRUIHR7ACQU4ChC7BTAGegQIBxAF#v=onepage&q="Bob Welch" "Chantays"&f=false

 

According to this book from 1996 and backed up by other sources, he was running a clothing store in Dana Point, California: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z9EiAQAAIAAJ&q="bob+welch"+drummer&dq="bob+welch"+drummer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwinjODbluPqAhUnUhUIHaIOBkIQ6AEwBnoECAIQAg

 

Was still performing with the Chantays at least until 2011, if not after.

 

It seems that at some point in 2014 he suffered a stroke and was partially paralysed: https://www.facebook.com/events/d41d8cd9/benefit-for-bob-welch-the-chantays-legendary-surf-drummer/269139659945786/

 

Was still alive in June 2018, sitting backstage at this gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVov7nEQCLs

 

[Spade_Cooley 9,641]

12 hours ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Duane Eddy and The Rebels – I got in touch with the Duane Eddy fan club. Nobody has any idea what happened to Jimmy Troxel who is the last blank in that section. They even contacted his local musicians union for me and they know nothing. *sigh* I guess there's some we'll never get to the bottom of. Still, the 50s/60s section is looking a lot more complete than the 70s is!

There's a suggestion here eight years ago that Jimmy Troxel may be the same person as Toxey French. They're both drummers and they both seem to turn up in the same scene (both are credited as playing the exact same session roles on the first The Association album for instance).

However, the chubster with the glasses here is Jimmy Troxel circa 1960

 

One of these guys is Toxey French circa 1969.

 

I'm not seeing the similarity....

[YoungWillz 21,294]

The Cheetahs.

 

This article from October 1964 helpfully gives the boys' ages: https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/64/Record-Mirror-1964-10-03-S-OCR.pdf

 

Rodney Wright (19) - so born 1944/45

His brother Nigel Wright (18) - so born 1945/46

Euan Rose (17) - so born 1946/47

Raymond Bridger (18) - so born 1945/46

 

The entry for Euan Rose ties in with his statement on his website that he was born just after WWII as I found earlier. So I'm not sure where you found a birthdate for 1943, but I'm now sure that can't be right if the corroborating evidence points elsewhere.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

1 hour ago, YoungWillz said:

The Chantays.

 

Missing member is Bob Welch (not Welsh). Now according to Billboard from April 1963, he was 17 then, making him ages with the other band members apart from Warren who was older: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YQsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12&dq="Bob+Welch"+"Chantays"&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiftbSImOPqAhVcVRUIHR7ACQU4ChC7BTAGegQIBxAF#v=onepage&q="Bob Welch" "Chantays"&f=false

 

According to this book from 1996 and backed up by other sources, he was running a clothing store in Dana Point, California: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=z9EiAQAAIAAJ&q="bob+welch"+drummer&dq="bob+welch"+drummer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwinjODbluPqAhUnUhUIHaIOBkIQ6AEwBnoECAIQAg

 

Was still performing with the Chantays at least until 2011, if not after.

 

It seems that at some point in 2014 he suffered a stroke and was partially paralysed: https://www.facebook.com/events/d41d8cd9/benefit-for-bob-welch-the-chantays-legendary-surf-drummer/269139659945786/

 

Was still alive in June 2018, sitting backstage at this gig: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVov7nEQCLs

 

Cheers! Found him no problem with all that info. Born 19 May 1945. Still living in Dana Point.

If you want a chuckle, watch this interview. The interviewer is bloody clueless.

"What was your hit?"
"Pipeline."
"Can you sing a bit of it for us?"
"No. It was an instrumental."


 

[Toast 16,262]

What a ghastly woman.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

1 hour ago, Spade_Cooley said:

There's a suggestion here eight years ago that Jimmy Troxel may be the same person as Toxey French. They're both drummers and they both seem to turn up in the same scene (both are credited as playing the exact same session roles on the first The Association album for instance).

However, the chubster with the glasses here is Jimmy Troxel circa 1960

 

One of these guys is Toxey French circa 1969.

 

I'm not seeing the similarity....

I THINK I've just found him! So on Google I found this. It's an obit for a Larry Troxel who died aged 44 in 1998. 

It says "Troxel, the son of jazz musician Jim Troxel, also was a youth pastor and taught percussion at Biola University and Southern California College."

Now on Ancestry I found Larry's record, and from it his father's: James Marvin Troxel b. 04 Feb 1929 in Marshfield Wood, Wisconsin, d. 11 Dec 1994 in Los Angeles California.

On AllMusic Jimmy Troxel is listed as Jim M. Troxel.

I think we're 75% of the way there on him. If there was a reference that linked the Duane Eddy drummer to Wisconsin, or latterly living in California, or also appearing on jazz hits etc. then I'll add it in. Maybe I'm being overcautious. Troxel looks like a rare surname from what Ancestry has brought up.

[YoungWillz 21,294]

The Cherokees.

 

Nothing on the members and believe me I have tried!

 

You have them being formed in Worcester - the band were formed in Leeds. Maybe we've been looking in the wrong part of the country. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2008/08/20/music_leeds_artists_1960s_feature.shtml

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

41 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

The Cheetahs.

 

This article from October 1964 helpfully gives the boys' ages: https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/60s/64/Record-Mirror-1964-10-03-S-OCR.pdf

 

Rodney Wright (19) - so born 1944/45

His brother Nigel Wright (18) - so born 1945/46

Euan Rose (17) - so born 1946/47

Raymond Bridger (18) - so born 1945/46

 

The entry for Euan Rose ties in with his statement on his website that he was born just after WWII as I found earlier. So I'm not sure where you found a birthdate for 1943, but I'm now sure that can't be right if the corroborating evidence points elsewhere.

Thanks! Neither am I. Maybe I should start keeping all the sources I come across. Anyway, I've scrubbed the birthdate of 15 Sep and changed the year.

[Ulitzer95 12,947]

7 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

The Cherokees.

 

Nothing on the members and believe me I have tried!

 

You have them being formed in Worcester - the band were formed in Leeds. Maybe we've been looking in the wrong part of the country. http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2008/08/20/music_leeds_artists_1960s_feature.shtml

Just checked the Collins Complete UK Hit Singles book and that's where Worcester came from! That book is full of errors. 

Anyway, changed. The names are too common to pinpoint to precise individuals on the GRO. However, Jim Green's comment that himself, Bower and Stokes are still living, that would suggest Sweeney died. Now there are quite a few dead Michael Sweeneys in the Leeds area on Ancestry as you can imagine, but one that stands out is a Michael Sweeney born 1942 (so ageing with Kirby) who died around 2007.