Lee Curtis and the All-Stars
Encyclopedia
Lee Curtis and the All-Stars were a British
beat group from Liverpool
, who were contemporaries and (briefly) local rivals of The Beatles
in the early 1960s. Led by Pete Flannery, who used the stage name Lee Curtis, other group members included Pete Best
and Wayne Bickerton
.
. Although they performed regularly in the Liverpool and North Wales
areas, Lee Curtis and the Detours split up after a few months. Flannery and his brother and manager Joe, who had previously worked as a singer with the Joe Loss
Orchestra, decided to form a new group, to be called Lee Curtis and the All-Stars.
In mid 1962 they recruited band members from other local groups. Original members were Frank Bowen (lead guitar), Tony Waddington (rhythm guitar), Wayne Bickerton (bass), and Bernie Rogers (drums). However, when Pete Best was sacked by the Beatles, the Flannery brothers - apparently encouraged by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein
- decided to dispense with Rogers and install Best as the group's drummer. They also occasionally performed with singer Beryl Marsden
. By the end of 1962, the group were one of the most successful in the area, and placed second in the Mersey Beat annual poll, behind the Beatles but ahead of Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers
, and other groups who later became nationally and internationally renowned. Lee Curtis and the All-Stars were signed by Decca Records
, and released two singles in early 1963, "Little Girl" and "Let's Stomp". However, neither made the charts, and in mid 1963 the rest of the band decided to split from Curtis to form The Original All-Stars. That group later became the Pete Best Four, and several years later Bickerton and Waddington moved on to become the writers and producers behind The Rubettes
.
Curtis formed a new version of the All-Stars in 1963, with Paul Pilnick (lead guitar), George "Porky" Peckham
(rhythm guitar - in later years a renowned record cutting engineer), Dave "Mushy" Cooper (bass), and Don Alcyd (drums). The new line-up recorded a single "I've Got My Eyes On You", contributed two tracks to the Decca album, Live at the Cavern, and played in clubs in Hamburg
, but split up soon afterwards. However, Curtis continued to build up his popularity on the club circuit in Germany
, and had a year-long residency at the Star-Club
. He also recorded regularly in Germany, although the line-up of his backing group, the All-Stars, changed repeatedly.
Towards the end of 1967, he was a passenger in a car which crashed while he was on the way to a performance in Germany, and he suffered head injuries. After a few further performances, he decided to leave the music business and returned home to Liverpool.
In later years, Lee Curtis worked as a croupier
and at the Ford
motor works at Halewood
, occasionally returning to live performance in Liverpool and Germany.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
beat group from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, who were contemporaries and (briefly) local rivals of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in the early 1960s. Led by Pete Flannery, who used the stage name Lee Curtis, other group members included Pete Best
Pete Best
Pete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
and Wayne Bickerton
Wayne Bickerton
Wayne Bickerton is an English songwriter, record producer, and music business executive. He became well known, with Tony Waddington, as writer and producer of a series of UK chart hits in the 1970s for The Rubettes, and is now a leading figure in SESAC, the Society of European Stage Authors &...
.
Career
Their origins lay in the Detours, a group formed in 1961 by school friends in Liverpool including lead singer Peter Flannery, who adopted a stage name derived from the American singer Curtis LeeCurtis Lee
Curtis Lee is an American singer of the early 1960s, who twice over was one of the beneficiaries of 1961 productions by Phil Spector. These were "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" and "Under the Moon of Love" Curtis Lee (born October 28, 1941, Yuma, Arizona, U.S.) is an American singer of the early...
. Although they performed regularly in the Liverpool and North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
areas, Lee Curtis and the Detours split up after a few months. Flannery and his brother and manager Joe, who had previously worked as a singer with the Joe Loss
Joe Loss
Joshua Alexander "Joe" Loss LVO OBE was a British musician and founder of the Joe Loss Orchestra.-Life:Loss was born in Spitalfields, London, the youngest of four children. His parents, Israel and Ada Loss, were Russian Jews and first cousins. His father was a cabinet-maker who had an office...
Orchestra, decided to form a new group, to be called Lee Curtis and the All-Stars.
In mid 1962 they recruited band members from other local groups. Original members were Frank Bowen (lead guitar), Tony Waddington (rhythm guitar), Wayne Bickerton (bass), and Bernie Rogers (drums). However, when Pete Best was sacked by the Beatles, the Flannery brothers - apparently encouraged by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
- decided to dispense with Rogers and install Best as the group's drummer. They also occasionally performed with singer Beryl Marsden
Beryl Marsden
Beryl Marsden is a British R&B and pop singer, who first came to notice on the Liverpool club scene of the early 1960s. She recorded a number of "powerful and soulful", but unsuccessful, records, and has been described as "undeservedly neglected".-Life and career:She was born Beryl Hogg in the...
. By the end of 1962, the group were one of the most successful in the area, and placed second in the Mersey Beat annual poll, behind the Beatles but ahead of Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers
The Searchers (band)
The Searchers are an English beat group, who emerged as part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene along with The Beatles, The Fourmost, The Merseybeats, The Swinging Blue Jeans, and Gerry & The Pacemakers....
, and other groups who later became nationally and internationally renowned. Lee Curtis and the All-Stars were signed by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
, and released two singles in early 1963, "Little Girl" and "Let's Stomp". However, neither made the charts, and in mid 1963 the rest of the band decided to split from Curtis to form The Original All-Stars. That group later became the Pete Best Four, and several years later Bickerton and Waddington moved on to become the writers and producers behind The Rubettes
The Rubettes
The Rubettes were an English pop band assembled in 1973 by the songwriting team of Wayne Bickerton, then the head of A&R at Polydor Records, and his co-songwriter, Tony Waddington, after their doo-wop and 1950s American pop-influenced songs had been rejected by a number of existing acts...
.
Curtis formed a new version of the All-Stars in 1963, with Paul Pilnick (lead guitar), George "Porky" Peckham
George Peckham
George "Porky" Peckham is an English record cutting engineer, widely recognised as among the most accomplished in the business. He has been responsible for producing the master discs from which countless vinyl records have been pressed over the last 40 years....
(rhythm guitar - in later years a renowned record cutting engineer), Dave "Mushy" Cooper (bass), and Don Alcyd (drums). The new line-up recorded a single "I've Got My Eyes On You", contributed two tracks to the Decca album, Live at the Cavern, and played in clubs in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, but split up soon afterwards. However, Curtis continued to build up his popularity on the club circuit in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and had a year-long residency at the Star-Club
Star-Club
The Star-Club was a music club in Hamburg, Germany that opened Friday 13 April 1962 and was initially operated by Manfred Weissleder and Horst Fascher. In the sixties, many of the giants of rock music played at the club. The club closed on 31 December 1969 and the building it occupied was...
. He also recorded regularly in Germany, although the line-up of his backing group, the All-Stars, changed repeatedly.
Towards the end of 1967, he was a passenger in a car which crashed while he was on the way to a performance in Germany, and he suffered head injuries. After a few further performances, he decided to leave the music business and returned home to Liverpool.
In later years, Lee Curtis worked as a croupier
Croupier
A croupier or dealer is someone appointed at a gambling table to assist in the conduct of the game, especially in the distribution of bets and payouts. Croupiers are typically employed by casinos.-Origin of the word:...
and at the Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
motor works at Halewood
Halewood
Halewood is in Merseyside, England and is located in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. The district lies near Liverpool's southeastern boundary, bordered by the suburbs of Hunts Cross and Woolton....
, occasionally returning to live performance in Liverpool and Germany.