Rory Storm
Encyclopedia
Rory Storm was an English singer and musician
. Born Alan Caldwell in Liverpool
, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries of The Beatles
in the late 1950s, and early 1960s. Ringo Starr
was the drummer
for the Hurricanes before joining The Beatles in August 1962.
The Hurricanes were one of the most popular acts on the Liverpool and Hamburg
club scenes during their existence, although their attempt at a recording career was not successful. They released only two singles, the second one being a version of the West Side Story song "America", which was produced by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein
.
When Storm's father died, he returned from Amsterdam to Liverpool to be with his mother at Stormsville, at 54 Broadgreen Road, Broadgreen
, Liverpool. On 27 September 1972, Storm developed a chest infection
and could not sleep properly, so he took sleeping pills. The next day Storm and his mother were both found dead. A post mortem determined that Storm had not taken enough pills to kill himself, but it was suspected that his mother had, after finding her son's body.
for Alan Caldwell born 21 September 1939, in Oakhill Park Estate, Stoneycroft
, Liverpool
, to Ernie and Violet Caldwell. His father was a window cleaner
by profession, and a part-time porter at the Broadgreen Hospital
, often singing songs to patients. Storm had one sister; Iris Caldwell, who later dated George Harrison
when she was 12, and Paul McCartney
, when she was 17. Iris later married Shane Fenton, later known as Alvin Stardust. Apart from music, Storm was interested in sports, particularly athletics; he ran for an amateur team in Liverpool called the Pembroke Harriers, and won the Pembroke Athletics and Cycle Club steeplechase record. Instead of being driven home after concerts in Liverpool, Storm preferred to run home.
Storm played football regularly and was a good skater and swimmer (once swimming the 12.5 mile length of Windermere
). Liverpool F.C.
used to train at Melwood
and he went to watch them in training, later putting up a large photo of himself training with the team on his wall at home. He was the captain of Mersey Beat
magazine's football team, called the Mersey Beat XI. Storm was born with a stutter (a speech impediment), which did not affect his singing. Because of Storm's bad stammer, his friends never allowed him to tell a joke or to order a round of drinks, as it took too long. He became a cotton salesman (as was Jim McCartney
, Paul McCartney's father) before forming a skiffle
group.
house, Balgownie, at 25 Oakhill Road, Broadgreen, on 13 March 1958. The cellar consisted of two rooms, painted black, that were connected by a long corridor, with skeletons painted on the walls and one blue light. Groups played on Tuesdays and Thursdays for up to 100 people (above the age of 15) starting at 7:30 p.m., including Storm's group (later called The Raving Texans) and The Quarrymen
(who later became The Beatles
). After complaints about the noise, the police closed down the club on 1 April 1958, but Storm reopened it on 22 April 1958. It was in the Morgan Skiffle Club that George Harrison
auditioned for The Quarrymen, playing "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" by Bert Weedon
, before being admitted as a member of the band. Harrison later asked Storm if he could join his group, but Storm's mother refused to allow it, as she thought Harrison was too young.
Storm went to London, on 11 April 1958, to participate in a cross-country running competition. During his stay he took part in a jam session
at Chas McDevitt
's Skiffle Cellar, which resulted in an appearance on 30 April 1958, on Radio Luxembourg
's Skiffle club programme playing "Midnight Special
". In 1959, Storm's group consisted of himself, Paul Murphy, and Johnny 'Guitar' Byrne all performing on guitar
and vocals, Reg Hale (washboard
) and Jeff Truman (tea-chest bass). 'Spud' Ward, a former member of The Swinging Blue Jeans
, later played bass guitar. Storm met Ringo Starr
at a talent contest called '6.5 Special'. Starr had previously played with The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group and was then drumming with a group called Darktown Skiffle. Starr's first concert with Storm was on 25 March 1959, at the Mardi Gras
in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool.
Storm changed the name of his group to Al Storm and the Hurricanes, Jett Storm and the Hurricanes, and finally, Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. The original line-up was Storm, Byrne, Ty Brian, Lu Walters (b. Walter Eymond) and Ringo Starr
. Storm and The Hurricanes entered a competition managed by Carrol Levis called, 'Search For Stars', at the Liverpool Empire Theatre
on 11 October 1959 reaching second place ahead of 150 acts. The line-up of The Hurricanes finally solidified with Storm (vocals), Byrne (rhythm guitar), Ty (Charles) O’Brien (lead guitar), Walters (bass guitar/vocals), and "Ritchie Starkey" (later 'Ringo Starr,' drums). The group played at The Cavern Club
with The Cy Laurie Jazz Band
on Sunday 2 January 1960, and a week later supported The Saints Jazz Band and Terry Lightfoot's New Orleans Jazz Band
. Playing rock 'n' roll music was a problem at The Cavern Club
, as it was not accepted by the customers or management. When Storm and The Hurricanes played there on 17 January 1960, with Micky Ashman's Jazz Band and the Swinging Blue Jeans, their first song was "Cumberland Gap" (a skiffle song) by Lonnie Donegan
but then played "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
", by Jerry Lee Lewis
. The jazz
and skiffle audience were outraged, booed and threw copper coins at the group. The Cavern's manager Ray McFall, fined them 6 shillings, but the coins collected from the stage floor were worth more than the fine.
Storm and The Hurricanes performed at The Liverpool Stadium
on 3 May 1960, on the same bill as Gene Vincent
. Larry Parnes
became interested in The Hurricanes, and invited them to audition at the Wyvern Club as a backing group for Billy Fury
. Storm turned up at the audition, but only so he could have his picture taken with Fury. In July 1960, the group secured a residency at Butlins
holiday camp in Pwllheli
(playing in the Rock 'n' Calypso Ballroom) for £25 each per week. Starr was not sure about giving up his job as an apprentice at Henry Hunt's, where he made climbing frames for schools, until Storm put forward the idea of "Starr-time" (a solo spot) with Starr singing songs like "Boys" by The Shirelles
. Starr finally agreed when Storm told him about how many women would be 'available'. It was during this season that Starr (who had been known as Ritchie until then) changed his name to Ringo. (Lennon refused to work in holiday camps like Butlins, even though they paid well, saying "It would be like playing in Belsen").
After playing for more than 16 hours per week, the group were contacted by Allan Williams
, who wanted them to go to Hamburg
. Derry and The Seniors
were successful there, and Williams wanted an additional group. As Storm and the group were committed to Butlins, they turned Williams' offer down (as did Gerry & The Pacemakers
) so Williams sent The Beatles to Hamburg instead. After the summer season ended in early October 1960, Storm and The Hurricanes were free to travel to Hamburg, replacing Derry and The Seniors at the Kaiserkeller
. They arrived in Hamburg on 1 October 1960, having negotiated to be paid more than The Seniors or The Beatles. They played five or six 90-minute sets every day alternating with The Beatles. Storm and The Hurricanes were later presented with a special certificate by Bruno Koschmider
(the owner of the Kaiserkeller) for their performances.
The stage of the Kaiserkeller was made of planks of wood balanced on the top of beer crates, so the two groups made a bet to see to who would be the first to break it. After punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when Storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, during a performance of "Blue Suede Shoes
", it finally broke. Byrne remembered that as Storm hit the stage, it cracked loudly and formed a V-shape around Storm. He disappeared into it, and all the amplifiers and Starr's cymbals slid into the hole. Koschmider was furious, and had to replace the live music with a juke box. Both groups went across the road to Harold's cafe for breakfast, but were followed by Koschmider's doormen with coshes, who beat the musicians as punishment.
During their eight-week residency Williams arranged a recording session at the Akoustik Studio, which was a small booth on the fifth floor of 57 Kirchenalle (The Klockmann-House) on Saturday 18 October 1960. Williams asked Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison from The Beatles to play and sing harmonies for Walters (of The Hurricanes) on the recording. Pete Best
(The Beatles' regular drummer at the time) was in town buying drumsticks, so Starr played drums, which was the first time Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr recorded together. They recorded three songs: "Fever
", "September Song
" and "Summertime
".
in Lincolnshire
. Sam Leach (a Liverpool promoter) arranged a series of dance nights at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot
, starting on 9 December 1961. The first Saturday featured The Beatles, but as the local newspaper forgot to run the advertisement only 18 people turned up. The second Saturday was arranged for Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to perform, and as it was advertised this time, 210 people paid to get in. Leach's idea was to attract London agents to watch the series of concerts, but when he realised they would never travel out of London he abandoned the idea.
Starr considered leaving Storm at that time to join Derry and The Seniors, but accepted a job with Tony Sheridan at the Top Ten Club on 30 December 1961, as Sheridan's offer of more money, a flat and a car was too good to refuse. Starr's stay with Sheridan was short-lived, as he found Sheridan's habit of changing the set list without telling his backing group beforehand frustrating, so he rejoined The Hurricanes. On 5 February 1962, Best fell ill and The Beatles had to play a lunchtime concert at the Cavern and an evening concert at the Kingsway club in Southport
. As The Hurricanes had no concert that day Starr played with them live on stage for the first time (although he had recorded with them in Hamburg).
During a Hurricanes' residency at Butlins, Lennon and McCartney drove from Liverpool to Skegness, on 15 August 1962, to ask Starr to join The Beatles. Shortly before, Starr had agreed to join Kingsize Taylor in Hamburg, as Taylor was offering £20 a week, but Lennon and McCartney offered £25 a week, which Starr accepted. Lennon and McCartney offered Storm to swap drummers (with Best replacing Starr) but Best rejected the idea. According to Epstein in his autobiography, Storm was, "One of the liveliest and most likeable young men on the scene ... was very annoyed when Ringo left and he complained to me. I apologised, and Rory, with immense good humour said, 'Okay. Forget it. The best of luck to the lot of you'". The Hurricanes would then become known for having a succession of drummers (including Gibson Kemp
, Brian Johnson, John Morrison, Keef Hartley
(August 1963) Ian Broad, and Trevor Morais
), who would all stay with the group for a short period before leaving.
Despite Starr joining The Beatles, both groups would perform on the same bill during 1961, and at many concerts thereafter. In 1962, both groups performed together at St Patrick's Night Rock Gala (Knotty Ash
Village Hall) Queen's Hall (Widnes
) and with Little Richard
at the Tower Ballroom. In 1963, Storm and The Hurricanes were filmed as part of the "Beat City" documentary, which was broadcast by Associated-Rediffusion
Television.
When Storm became a professional singer, he changed his name to Rory Storm by deed poll
, and changed the name of his family's home in Broadgreen to Stormsville. Storm was known for the extravagant clothes he wore and the cars he drove, once buying a pink Vauxhall Cresta
for £800 in cash. A young man was once caught by a porter at Bootle
railway station writing "I love Rory" over the walls, and when questioned, it turned out to be Storm himself. The Hurricanes wore matching suits on stage, but Storm sometimes wore a pink suit and pink tie, and during concerts he would walk over to the piano and comb his blond hair with an oversized comb. Their stage wear changed from sunglasses and palm tree decorated shirts to red (and blue) suits. Storm also wore an Elvis
-style gold lamé
suit. When they first appeared at Butlins holiday camp Storm wore a turquoise suit with a gold lamé shirt, while the group wore fluorescent suits.
Rod Punt (also known as Steve Day in Steve Day & the Drifters) remembered Storm arriving at the Orrell Park Ballroom for a concert with a boil
on his face. When told about it, Storm pulled out a black velvet hood which had slits for his eyes and mouth, and played the whole concert with the hood on. At one concert at Bankfield House Youth club, Garston
, Liverpool, in 1965, the stage lighting failed between sets. Storm was upset until someone walked in with a torch
, which Storm used to finish the concert. He occasionally used a pet monkey in some of the group's performances, as it attracted more people. At a New Brighton
swimming baths performance for 1,600 people in 1963, Storm climbed to the top diving board, undressed to a pair of swimming trunks, and then dived into the water at the end of a song. In January 1964, during a performance at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead
, he climbed up one of the columns supporting the balcony, but slipped and fell 30 feet (9.1 m) to the floor below, fracturing his leg. At another performance on the New Brighton Pier, Storm made his way onto the Pavilion roof, but fell through the glass skylight
.
Storm and The Hurricanes received the most votes in the first Mersey Beat
magazine poll
, but many votes were disqualified as they had been posted from the same place at the same time, and were written in green ink. (Although never proven, it was thought that Storm had posted the votes). This meant that The Beatles reached the top position, with The Hurricanes coming fourth, even though The Beatles had also been sending in extra votes themselves. Storm was often photographed for the magazine, such as being surrounded by nurses when he left hospital after breaking a leg during a performance, or playing for the Mersey Beat XI football team.
The group's typical 40-minute set list
during 1963/1964:
Other songs included in the set were:
The Hurricanes recorded songs for Oriole
's two "This is Mersey Beat" albums, but only released two singles: "Dr Feelgood"/"I Can Tell", Oriole (45-CB 1858 12/63) and "America"/"Since You Broke My Heart", Parlophone
(R 5197 11/64) which was produced by Epstein at IBC Studios in London. Epstein also sang backing vocals on "America", and Starr added percussion and sang. Storm later asked Epstein to manage the group, but Epstein refused. The Hurricanes later recorded two songs at Abbey Road Studios
in 1964: "Ubangi Stomp" and "I'll Be There", although they were never released.
operation. Storm disbanded The Hurricanes and became a disc jockey, working at the Silver Blades Ice Rink
in Liverpool, in Benidorm
(he was also a water-skiing instructor there) in Jersey
and Amsterdam
. When Storm's father died, he returned from Amsterdam to Liverpool to be with his mother. Storm developed a chest infection and could not sleep properly, so he took sleeping pills. On 28 September 1972, Storm and his mother were both found dead, at Stormsville. The post mortem revealed that Storm had alcohol and sleeping pills in his blood (as had his mother) but not enough to cause his death, which was ruled accidental, although it could not be proven that his mother had committed suicide
after finding Storm's body.
The funeral for Storm and his mother was at Oakvale Congregational Church, Broadgreen, on 19 October 1972. Mourners sang Storm's favourite song, "You'll Never Walk Alone
". The two coffins were carried from the hearse to the cremation
(at Anfield Crematorium) by former band members. Storm's remains were scattered on section 23 at Anfield Crematoriums Gardens of Remembrance. When Starr was asked why he did not attend, he said, "I wasn't there when he was born either." Although Starr had often offered to arrange for Storm to record whenever he wanted to, Storm was not interested in finding new or original material. His sister said: "He [Storm] was happy to be the King of Liverpool - he was never keen on touring, he didn't want to give up running for the Pembroke Harriers...and he'd never miss a Liverpool football match!" Fury, whom Storm had met at the Wyvern Club auditions, later played the part of a singer called Stormy Tempest in the film, That'll Be the Day
(1973) which was based on Storm and also starred Starr. In 1987, a musical
was staged in Liverpool about Storm and The Hurricanes called A Need For Heroes.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Born Alan Caldwell in 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...
, Storm was the singer and leader of Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, a Liverpudlian band who were contemporaries 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 late 1950s, and early 1960s. Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
was the drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
for the Hurricanes before joining The Beatles in August 1962.
The Hurricanes were one of the most popular acts on the Liverpool and 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...
club scenes during their existence, although their attempt at a recording career was not successful. They released only two singles, the second one being a version of the West Side Story song "America", which was produced 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...
.
When Storm's father died, he returned from Amsterdam to Liverpool to be with his mother at Stormsville, at 54 Broadgreen Road, Broadgreen
Broadgreen
Broadgreen is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Located on the eastern edge of the city, it is bordered by Old Swan to the north west, Knotty Ash to the north east, Childwall to the south and, further east, Bowring Park...
, Liverpool. On 27 September 1972, Storm developed a chest infection
Lower respiratory tract infection
Lower respiratory tract infection while often used as a synonym for pneumonia, can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis...
and could not sleep properly, so he took sleeping pills. The next day Storm and his mother were both found dead. A post mortem determined that Storm had not taken enough pills to kill himself, but it was suspected that his mother had, after finding her son's body.
Early years
Rory Storm was the stage nameStage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
for Alan Caldwell born 21 September 1939, in Oakhill Park Estate, Stoneycroft
Stoneycroft
Stoneycroft is an area of inner-city Liverpool, England and part of the Tuebrook and Stoneycroft and Old Swan wards.-Description:Stoneycroft is a small residential district of Liverpool located to the east of city. Liverpool's inner ring-road, Queens Drive, runs past Stoneycroft and creates a...
, 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...
, to Ernie and Violet Caldwell. His father was a window cleaner
Window cleaner
A window cleaner is a person who maintains the cleanliness of windows, mirrors and other glass surfaces as a profession.-Profession:...
by profession, and a part-time porter at the Broadgreen Hospital
Broadgreen Hospital
Broadgreen Hospital is a large teaching hospital located on Thomas Drive, in the suburb of Broadgreen, Liverpool, England, part of the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust...
, often singing songs to patients. Storm had one sister; Iris Caldwell, who later dated George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
when she was 12, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, when she was 17. Iris later married Shane Fenton, later known as Alvin Stardust. Apart from music, Storm was interested in sports, particularly athletics; he ran for an amateur team in Liverpool called the Pembroke Harriers, and won the Pembroke Athletics and Cycle Club steeplechase record. Instead of being driven home after concerts in Liverpool, Storm preferred to run home.
Storm played football regularly and was a good skater and swimmer (once swimming the 12.5 mile length of Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
). Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
used to train at Melwood
Melwood
Melwood, in West Derby, Liverpool, is home to Liverpool FC's training ground. It is not attached to The Academy, which is in Kirkby.It is based in the West Derby area of Liverpool and has been their home since the fifties. The ground previously belonged to St Francis Xavier, a local school...
and he went to watch them in training, later putting up a large photo of himself training with the team on his wall at home. He was the captain of Mersey Beat
Mersey Beat
Mersey Beat was a music publication in Liverpool, England in the early 1960s. It was founded by Bill Harry, who was one of John Lennon's classmates at Liverpool Art College...
magazine's football team, called the Mersey Beat XI. Storm was born with a stutter (a speech impediment), which did not affect his singing. Because of Storm's bad stammer, his friends never allowed him to tell a joke or to order a round of drinks, as it took too long. He became a cotton salesman (as was Jim McCartney
Jim and Mary McCartney
James "Jim" McCartney and Mary Patricia McCartney were the parents of musician, author and artist Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Wings, and photographer and musician Mike McCartney, who worked with The Scaffold.Like many families in Liverpool, the McCartney and Mohin families are of...
, Paul McCartney's father) before forming a skiffle
Skiffle
Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
group.
Music
Storm's first name for a group was Dracula & the Werewolves, but later settled on Al Caldwell's Texans. Still known as Alan Caldwell, Storm opened The Morgue Skiffle Club in the cellar of a large VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
house, Balgownie, at 25 Oakhill Road, Broadgreen, on 13 March 1958. The cellar consisted of two rooms, painted black, that were connected by a long corridor, with skeletons painted on the walls and one blue light. Groups played on Tuesdays and Thursdays for up to 100 people (above the age of 15) starting at 7:30 p.m., including Storm's group (later called The Raving Texans) and The Quarrymen
The Quarrymen
The Quarrymen are a British skiffle and rock and roll group, initially formed in Liverpool in 1956, that eventually evolved into The Beatles in 1960...
(who later became 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...
). After complaints about the noise, the police closed down the club on 1 April 1958, but Storm reopened it on 22 April 1958. It was in the Morgan Skiffle Club that George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
auditioned for The Quarrymen, playing "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" by Bert Weedon
Bert Weedon
Herbert Maurice William 'Bert' Weedon OBE is an English guitarist and composer whose style of guitar playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Burges Road, East Ham, Essex, now Greater London....
, before being admitted as a member of the band. Harrison later asked Storm if he could join his group, but Storm's mother refused to allow it, as she thought Harrison was too young.
Storm went to London, on 11 April 1958, to participate in a cross-country running competition. During his stay he took part in a jam session
Jam session
Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
at Chas McDevitt
Chas McDevitt
Chas McDevitt is a British musician, one of the leading lights of the skiffle genre which was highly influential and popular in the United Kingdom in the mid-to-late 1950s....
's Skiffle Cellar, which resulted in an appearance on 30 April 1958, on Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
's Skiffle club programme playing "Midnight Special
Midnight Special (song)
"Midnight Special" is a traditional folk song thought to have originated among prisoners in the American South. The title comes from the refrain which refers to the Midnight Special and its "ever-loving light" ....
". In 1959, Storm's group consisted of himself, Paul Murphy, and Johnny 'Guitar' Byrne all performing on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and vocals, Reg Hale (washboard
Washboard
A washboard is a tool designed for hand washing clothing. With mechanized cleaning of clothing becoming more common by the end of the 20th century, the washboard has become better known for its originally subsidiary use as a musical instrument....
) and Jeff Truman (tea-chest bass). 'Spud' Ward, a former member of The Swinging Blue Jeans
The Swinging Blue Jeans
The Swinging Blue Jeans were a four piece 1960s British Merseybeat band, best known for their hit singles with the HMV label; "Hippy Hippy Shake", the follow-up, Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly", and "You're No Good", a Clint Ballard song that provided a change of pace and furnished the...
, later played bass guitar. Storm met Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
at a talent contest called '6.5 Special'. Starr had previously played with The Eddie Clayton Skiffle Group and was then drumming with a group called Darktown Skiffle. Starr's first concert with Storm was on 25 March 1959, at the Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
in Mount Pleasant, Liverpool.
Rory Storm and The Hurricanes
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
. Storm and The Hurricanes entered a competition managed by Carrol Levis called, 'Search For Stars', at the Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Empire Theatre
Liverpool Empire Theatre is located on the corner of Lime Street and London Road in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The theatre is the second to be built on the site, and was opened in 1925. It has the largest two-tier auditorium in Britain and can seat 2,350 people...
on 11 October 1959 reaching second place ahead of 150 acts. The line-up of The Hurricanes finally solidified with Storm (vocals), Byrne (rhythm guitar), Ty (Charles) O’Brien (lead guitar), Walters (bass guitar/vocals), and "Ritchie Starkey" (later 'Ringo Starr,' drums). The group played at The Cavern Club
The Cavern Club
The Cavern Club is a rock and roll club in Liverpool, England. Opened on Wednesday 16 January 1957, the club had their first performance by The Beatles on 9 February 1961, and where Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles performing on 9 November 1961....
with The Cy Laurie Jazz Band
Cy Laurie
Cyril "Cy" Laurie was an English jazz clarinetist and bandleader.Laure was an autodidact on clarinet. He put together his own band in 1947; George Melly debuted in this ensemble in 1948...
on Sunday 2 January 1960, and a week later supported The Saints Jazz Band and Terry Lightfoot's New Orleans Jazz Band
Terry Lightfoot
Terry Lightfoot is a British clarinettist and bandleader, and together with Chris Barber, Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball was one of the leading members of the trad jazz generation of British jazzmen.-Early life:Lightfoot started his musical career as a vocalist during school-life, singing popular songs...
. Playing rock 'n' roll music was a problem at The Cavern Club
The Cavern Club
The Cavern Club is a rock and roll club in Liverpool, England. Opened on Wednesday 16 January 1957, the club had their first performance by The Beatles on 9 February 1961, and where Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles performing on 9 November 1961....
, as it was not accepted by the customers or management. When Storm and The Hurricanes played there on 17 January 1960, with Micky Ashman's Jazz Band and the Swinging Blue Jeans, their first song was "Cumberland Gap" (a skiffle song) by Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
but then played "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" is a song best known in the 1957 rock and roll/rockabilly hit version by Jerry Lee Lewis.-Origins of the song:...
", by Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
. The jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and skiffle audience were outraged, booed and threw copper coins at the group. The Cavern's manager Ray McFall, fined them 6 shillings, but the coins collected from the stage floor were worth more than the fine.
Storm and The Hurricanes performed at The Liverpool Stadium
Liverpool Stadium
Liverpool Stadium was a stadium in Liverpool, England. It hosted many different events including boxing, wrestling, concerts, and political hustings.-External links:**-Bibliography:*Curley, Mallory...
on 3 May 1960, on the same bill as Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
. Larry Parnes
Larry Parnes
Laurence Maurice "Larry" Parnes was an English pop manager and impresario. He has been described as "the first major British rock manager... Parnes' stable encompassed most of the most successful pre-Beatles British rock singers."...
became interested in The Hurricanes, and invited them to audition at the Wyvern Club as a backing group for Billy Fury
Billy Fury
Billy Fury, born Ronald William Wycherley , was an internationally successful English singer from the late-1950s to the mid-1960s, and remained an active songwriter until the 1980s. Rheumatic fever, which he first contracted as a child, damaged his heart and ultimately contributed to his death...
. Storm turned up at the audition, but only so he could have his picture taken with Fury. In July 1960, the group secured a residency at Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
holiday camp in Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
(playing in the Rock 'n' Calypso Ballroom) for £25 each per week. Starr was not sure about giving up his job as an apprentice at Henry Hunt's, where he made climbing frames for schools, until Storm put forward the idea of "Starr-time" (a solo spot) with Starr singing songs like "Boys" by The Shirelles
The Shirelles
The Shirelles were an African-American girl group that achieved popularity in the early 1960s. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens , Doris Coley , Addie "Micki" Harris , and Beverly Lee...
. Starr finally agreed when Storm told him about how many women would be 'available'. It was during this season that Starr (who had been known as Ritchie until then) changed his name to Ringo. (Lennon refused to work in holiday camps like Butlins, even though they paid well, saying "It would be like playing in Belsen").
Hamburg
Allan Williams
Allan Williams is a former businessman and promoter of Welsh descent. He was the original booking agent of The Beatles...
, who wanted them to go to 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...
. Derry and The Seniors
Derry and the Seniors
Derry and the Seniors were a British rock and roll group of the early 1960s. They were the first band from Liverpool to play the club scene in Germany, paving the way for The Beatles and others...
were successful there, and Williams wanted an additional group. As Storm and the group were committed to Butlins, they turned Williams' offer down (as did Gerry & The Pacemakers
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with...
) so Williams sent The Beatles to Hamburg instead. After the summer season ended in early October 1960, Storm and The Hurricanes were free to travel to Hamburg, replacing Derry and The Seniors at the Kaiserkeller
Kaiserkeller
Kaiserkeller is a night club in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg, Germany, near the Reeperbahn. It was opened by Bruno Koschmider on October 14, 1959. The Beatles had a contract with Kaiserkeller to play there in 1960.-Biography:...
. They arrived in Hamburg on 1 October 1960, having negotiated to be paid more than The Seniors or The Beatles. They played five or six 90-minute sets every day alternating with The Beatles. Storm and The Hurricanes were later presented with a special certificate by Bruno Koschmider
Bruno Koschmider
Bruno Koschmider was a German entrepreneur in Hamburg, Germany best known for employing The Beatles in the early 1960s...
(the owner of the Kaiserkeller) for their performances.
The stage of the Kaiserkeller was made of planks of wood balanced on the top of beer crates, so the two groups made a bet to see to who would be the first to break it. After punishing the stage for days, a slight crack appeared, and when Storm jumped off the top of the upright piano, during a performance of "Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Suede Shoes
"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
", it finally broke. Byrne remembered that as Storm hit the stage, it cracked loudly and formed a V-shape around Storm. He disappeared into it, and all the amplifiers and Starr's cymbals slid into the hole. Koschmider was furious, and had to replace the live music with a juke box. Both groups went across the road to Harold's cafe for breakfast, but were followed by Koschmider's doormen with coshes, who beat the musicians as punishment.
During their eight-week residency Williams arranged a recording session at the Akoustik Studio, which was a small booth on the fifth floor of 57 Kirchenalle (The Klockmann-House) on Saturday 18 October 1960. Williams asked Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison from The Beatles to play and sing harmonies for Walters (of The Hurricanes) on the recording. 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...
(The Beatles' regular drummer at the time) was in town buying drumsticks, so Starr played drums, which was the first time Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr recorded together. They recorded three songs: "Fever
Fever (1956 song)
"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
", "September Song
September Song
"September Song" is an American pop standard composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Maxwell Anderson, introduced by Walter Huston in the 1938 Broadway musical Knickerbocker Holiday. It has since been recorded by numerous singers and instrumentalists...
" and "Summertime
Summertime (song)
"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
".
Liverpool
Storm and The Hurricanes were the headlining group at the first "Beat Night", in the Orrell Park Ballroom, in March 1961. They were also invited for a season at the Butlins camp in SkegnessSkegness
Skegness is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. Located on the Lincolnshire coast of the North Sea, east of the city of Lincoln it has a total resident population of 18,910....
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Sam Leach (a Liverpool promoter) arranged a series of dance nights at the Palais Ballroom in Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, starting on 9 December 1961. The first Saturday featured The Beatles, but as the local newspaper forgot to run the advertisement only 18 people turned up. The second Saturday was arranged for Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to perform, and as it was advertised this time, 210 people paid to get in. Leach's idea was to attract London agents to watch the series of concerts, but when he realised they would never travel out of London he abandoned the idea.
Starr considered leaving Storm at that time to join Derry and The Seniors, but accepted a job with Tony Sheridan at the Top Ten Club on 30 December 1961, as Sheridan's offer of more money, a flat and a car was too good to refuse. Starr's stay with Sheridan was short-lived, as he found Sheridan's habit of changing the set list without telling his backing group beforehand frustrating, so he rejoined The Hurricanes. On 5 February 1962, Best fell ill and The Beatles had to play a lunchtime concert at the Cavern and an evening concert at the Kingsway club in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
. As The Hurricanes had no concert that day Starr played with them live on stage for the first time (although he had recorded with them in Hamburg).
During a Hurricanes' residency at Butlins, Lennon and McCartney drove from Liverpool to Skegness, on 15 August 1962, to ask Starr to join The Beatles. Shortly before, Starr had agreed to join Kingsize Taylor in Hamburg, as Taylor was offering £20 a week, but Lennon and McCartney offered £25 a week, which Starr accepted. Lennon and McCartney offered Storm to swap drummers (with Best replacing Starr) but Best rejected the idea. According to Epstein in his autobiography, Storm was, "One of the liveliest and most likeable young men on the scene ... was very annoyed when Ringo left and he complained to me. I apologised, and Rory, with immense good humour said, 'Okay. Forget it. The best of luck to the lot of you'". The Hurricanes would then become known for having a succession of drummers (including Gibson Kemp
Paddy Chambers
Paddy Chambers was an English lead guitarist and vocalist from the Merseybeat era.With an early 1960s band of his, Steve Bennett and the Syndicate, Patrick John Chambers appeared at The 2i's Coffee Bar in 1961...
, Brian Johnson, John Morrison, Keef Hartley
Keef Hartley
Keef Hartley was an English drummer and bandleader. He fronted the Keef Hartley Band, and played at Woodstock. Hartley was later a member of Dog Soldier, and variously worked with Rory Storm, The Artwoods and John Mayall.-Biography:Hartley was born in Preston, Lancashire, England...
(August 1963) Ian Broad, and Trevor Morais
Quantum Jump
Quantum Jump was a 1970s British band, consisting of keyboard player and singer Rupert Hine, guitarist Mark Warner, bass player John G. Perry and drummer Trevor Morais .-Career:...
), who would all stay with the group for a short period before leaving.
Despite Starr joining The Beatles, both groups would perform on the same bill during 1961, and at many concerts thereafter. In 1962, both groups performed together at St Patrick's Night Rock Gala (Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
Village Hall) Queen's Hall (Widnes
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
) and with Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
at the Tower Ballroom. In 1963, Storm and The Hurricanes were filmed as part of the "Beat City" documentary, which was broadcast by Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
Television.
Stage persona and lifestyle
Deed poll
A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
, and changed the name of his family's home in Broadgreen to Stormsville. Storm was known for the extravagant clothes he wore and the cars he drove, once buying a pink Vauxhall Cresta
Vauxhall Cresta
The Vauxhall Cresta is a British car first introduced in 1954 by Vauxhall Motors as an upmarket version of the Vauxhall Velox . When the Wyvern was replaced in 1957 the new larger car took the Cresta name...
for £800 in cash. A young man was once caught by a porter at Bootle
Bootle
Bootle is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England, and a 'Post town' in the L postcode area. Formally known as Bootle-cum-Linacre, the town is 4 miles to the north of Liverpool city centre, and has a total resident population of 77,640.Historically part of...
railway station writing "I love Rory" over the walls, and when questioned, it turned out to be Storm himself. The Hurricanes wore matching suits on stage, but Storm sometimes wore a pink suit and pink tie, and during concerts he would walk over to the piano and comb his blond hair with an oversized comb. Their stage wear changed from sunglasses and palm tree decorated shirts to red (and blue) suits. Storm also wore an Elvis
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
-style gold lamé
Lamé (fabric)
Lamé is a type of fabric woven or knit with thin ribbons of metallic yarns, as opposed to guimpé, where the ribbons are wrapped around a fibre yarn. It is usually gold or silver in color; sometimes copper lamé is seen. Lamé comes in different varieties, depending on the composition of the other...
suit. When they first appeared at Butlins holiday camp Storm wore a turquoise suit with a gold lamé shirt, while the group wore fluorescent suits.
Rod Punt (also known as Steve Day in Steve Day & the Drifters) remembered Storm arriving at the Orrell Park Ballroom for a concert with a boil
Boil
A boil, also called a furuncle, is a deep folliculitis, infection of the hair follicle. It is always caused by infection by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, resulting in a painful swollen area on the skin caused by an accumulation of pus and dead tissue...
on his face. When told about it, Storm pulled out a black velvet hood which had slits for his eyes and mouth, and played the whole concert with the hood on. At one concert at Bankfield House Youth club, Garston
Garston, Merseyside
Garston is a district of Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is bordered by Aigburth, Allerton, and Speke.-History:Gaerstun, meaning 'grazing settlement' or 'grazing farm' in Old English, is one possible root of the name....
, Liverpool, in 1965, the stage lighting failed between sets. Storm was upset until someone walked in with a torch
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
, which Storm used to finish the concert. He occasionally used a pet monkey in some of the group's performances, as it attracted more people. At a New Brighton
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
swimming baths performance for 1,600 people in 1963, Storm climbed to the top diving board, undressed to a pair of swimming trunks, and then dived into the water at the end of a song. In January 1964, during a performance at the Majestic Ballroom, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
, he climbed up one of the columns supporting the balcony, but slipped and fell 30 feet (9.1 m) to the floor below, fracturing his leg. At another performance on the New Brighton Pier, Storm made his way onto the Pavilion roof, but fell through the glass skylight
Daylighting
Daylighting is the practice of placing windows or other openings and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. Particular attention is given to daylighting while designing a building when the aim is to maximize visual comfort or to reduce energy...
.
Storm and The Hurricanes received the most votes in the first Mersey Beat
Mersey Beat
Mersey Beat was a music publication in Liverpool, England in the early 1960s. It was founded by Bill Harry, who was one of John Lennon's classmates at Liverpool Art College...
magazine poll
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
, but many votes were disqualified as they had been posted from the same place at the same time, and were written in green ink. (Although never proven, it was thought that Storm had posted the votes). This meant that The Beatles reached the top position, with The Hurricanes coming fourth, even though The Beatles had also been sending in extra votes themselves. Storm was often photographed for the magazine, such as being surrounded by nurses when he left hospital after breaking a leg during a performance, or playing for the Mersey Beat XI football team.
The Hurricanes' set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
during 1963/1964:
- "Brand New CadillacBrand New Cadillac"Brand New Cadillac" is a 1959 12-bar blues song by Vince Taylor, and was originally released as a B-side. Featured musicians on the released recording were: Joe Moretti , Lou Brian , Brian Locking and Brian Bennett ....
" — Storm, vocals (Vince TaylorVince TaylorVince Taylor was a British rock and roll singer. As the frontman for The Playboys, Taylor was successful primarily in France and the Continent during the late 1950s and early 1960s, afterwards falling into obscurity amidst personal problems and drug abuse.-Early life:Born Brian Maurice Holden,...
& the Playboys); - "Roll Over BeethovenRoll Over Beethoven"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classical music...
" — Storm, vocals (Chuck BerryChuck BerryCharles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
); - "I'll Be Your Hero" — Storm, vocals (Taylor & the Playboys);
- "Beautiful DreamerBeautiful Dreamer"Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song by Stephen Foster . It was published posthumously in March 1864 by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York. The first edition declares on the title page that "Beautiful Dreamer" is "the last song ever written by Stephen C. Foster. Composed but a few days prior to his...
" — Walters, vocals (Tony OrlandoTony OrlandoMichael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis , better known as Tony Orlando, is an American show business professional, best known as the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early 1970s. Discovered by producer Don Kirshner, Orlando had songs on the charts in 1961 when he was 16, "Halfway to...
); - "Since You Broke My Heart" — Walters/Byrne, vocals (The Everly BrothersThe Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
); - "America" — Storm, vocals (Leonard BernsteinLeonard BernsteinLeonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim...
); - "Danny" — Storm, vocals (Marty WildeMarty WildeMarty Wilde is an English singer and songwriter. He was among the first generation of British pop stars to emulate American rock and roll, and is the father of pop singers Ricky Wilde, Kim Wilde and Roxanne Wilde.-Career:Wilde was performing under the name Reg Patterson at London's Condor Club in...
); - "Green OnionsGreen OnionsGreen Onions is the debut album by Booker T. & the M.G.'s, released on Stax Records in October of 1962. It reached number 33 on the Pop Albums chart in the month of its release...
" (instrumental) (Booker T & the MG's); - "Down The LineGo Go Go (Down the Line)"Go Go Go " is a song by Roy Orbison, released in 1956.It has been covered by Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Hollies and Cliff Richard among others...
" — Storm, vocals (Jerry Lee LewisJerry Lee LewisJerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
); and - "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin OnWhole Lotta Shakin' Goin On"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" is a song best known in the 1957 rock and roll/rockabilly hit version by Jerry Lee Lewis.-Origins of the song:...
" — Storm, vocals (Jerry Lee Lewis).
Other songs included in the set were:
- "FeverFever (1956 song)"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
" — Walters, vocals (written by Eddie Cooley and John Davenport (a pseudonym for Otis BlackwellOtis BlackwellOtis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
)); - "Let It Be Me" — Walters, vocals (Gilbert BécaudGilbert BécaudGilbert Bécaud was a French singer, composer and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et Maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love"...
); - "SummertimeSummertime (song)"Summertime" is an aria composed by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess. The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, although the song is also co-credited to Ira Gershwin by ASCAP....
" — Walters, vocals (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
); and - "Dr Feelgood" — Storm, vocals.
The Hurricanes recorded songs for Oriole
Oriole Records (UK)
Oriole Records was the first British record label founded in 1925 by the London-based Levy Company, which owned a gramophone record subsidiary called Levaphone Records.-History:...
's two "This is Mersey Beat" albums, but only released two singles: "Dr Feelgood"/"I Can Tell", Oriole (45-CB 1858 12/63) and "America"/"Since You Broke My Heart", Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
(R 5197 11/64) which was produced by Epstein at IBC Studios in London. Epstein also sang backing vocals on "America", and Starr added percussion and sang. Storm later asked Epstein to manage the group, but Epstein refused. The Hurricanes later recorded two songs at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in 1964: "Ubangi Stomp" and "I'll Be There", although they were never released.
Later life and death
In 1967, at the age of 26, O’Brien collapsed on stage during a performance, and later died due to complications after an appendicitisAppendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
operation. Storm disbanded The Hurricanes and became a disc jockey, working at the Silver Blades Ice Rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
in Liverpool, in Benidorm
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
(he was also a water-skiing instructor there) in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. When Storm's father died, he returned from Amsterdam to Liverpool to be with his mother. Storm developed a chest infection and could not sleep properly, so he took sleeping pills. On 28 September 1972, Storm and his mother were both found dead, at Stormsville. The post mortem revealed that Storm had alcohol and sleeping pills in his blood (as had his mother) but not enough to cause his death, which was ruled accidental, although it could not be proven that his mother had committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
after finding Storm's body.
The funeral for Storm and his mother was at Oakvale Congregational Church, Broadgreen, on 19 October 1972. Mourners sang Storm's favourite song, "You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone (song)
"You'll Never Walk Alone" is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.In the musical, in the second act, Nettie Fowler, the cousin of the female protagonist Julie Jordan, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" to comfort and encourage Julie when her husband, Billy Bigelow, the...
". The two coffins were carried from the hearse to the cremation
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
(at Anfield Crematorium) by former band members. Storm's remains were scattered on section 23 at Anfield Crematoriums Gardens of Remembrance. When Starr was asked why he did not attend, he said, "I wasn't there when he was born either." Although Starr had often offered to arrange for Storm to record whenever he wanted to, Storm was not interested in finding new or original material. His sister said: "He [Storm] was happy to be the King of Liverpool - he was never keen on touring, he didn't want to give up running for the Pembroke Harriers...and he'd never miss a Liverpool football match!" Fury, whom Storm had met at the Wyvern Club auditions, later played the part of a singer called Stormy Tempest in the film, That'll Be the Day
That'll Be The Day (film)
That'll Be the Day is a 1973 British film starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, written by Ray Connolly and directed by Claude Whatham. It is set in the late '50s/early '60s and was partially filmed on the Isle of Wight. A sequel, Stardust, was released in 1974.-Plot summary:Jim MacLaine's mother...
(1973) which was based on Storm and also starred Starr. In 1987, a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
was staged in Liverpool about Storm and The Hurricanes called A Need For Heroes.