The Fireballs, sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 rock and roll

Rock and roll

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...

 group, particularly popular at the end of the 1950s and in the early 1960s. The original 1958 line-up was: George Tomsco (lead guitar), Chuck Tharp (vocals), Stan Lark (bass), Eric Budd (drums), and Dan Trammell (rhythm guitar).

The Fireballs were formed in Raton

Raton, New Mexico

Raton is a city in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 7,282 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Colfax County. The city is located just south of Raton Pass.-Name:...

, New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

, and got their start as an instrumental group, featuring the very distinctive lead guitar of George Tomsco. They recorded

Sound recording and reproduction

Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

 at Norman Petty

Norman Petty

Norman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....

's studio

Recording studio

A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...

 in Clovis, New Mexico

Clovis, New Mexico

Clovis is the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 32,667 at the 2000 census; according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates, the population had risen to 37,775....

, where Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly

Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...

 had previously launched his career. They reached the Top 40

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 with the singles

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 "Torquay" (1959), "Bulldog" (1960) and "Quite a Party" (1961). "Quite a Party" peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 in August 1961. Tharp, Budd and Trammell left the group in the early 1960s, adding Doug Roberts on drums, plus Petty Studio solo vocalist, singer/pianist

Pianist

A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 Jimmy Gilmer (born September 15, 1940 in Chicago and raised in Amarillo, Texas) to the group.

Billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, the group reached number 1 on the Billboard

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 chart

Record chart

A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....

 with "Sugar Shack

Sugar Shack

"Sugar Shack" is a song written in 1962 by Keith McCormack & Jimmy Torres. Jimmy then gave his song rights to aunt Fay Voss for a birth day present. The song was recorded in 1963 by Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico...

", which remained at that position for five weeks in 1963. The single also reached number 1 on Billboard's R&B chart

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...

 for one week in November of that year, but its run on that chart was cut short because Billboard ceased publishing an R&B chart

R&B number-one hits of 1963 (USA)

These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1963:See also: 1963 in music, List of number-one R&B hits -Gap in the chart:...

 from November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965. Nonetheless, "Sugar Shack" earned the group a Gold Record

Music recording sales certification

Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...

 Award for "Top Song Of 1963". In the UK

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...

 the song peaked at #45. Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs then had another pop hit in 1964 with a similar sounding "Daisy Petal Pickin'", which reached number 15 on the Hot 100.

During the run of "Daisy Petal Pickin'" on the charts, the British Invasion

British Invasion

The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...

 began with the first hits by 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...

. The group had difficulty competing with the influx of British

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...

 artists and did not reach the Top 40 again until 1968, with "Bottle of Wine," which was written by Tom Paxton

Tom Paxton

Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...

. The Fireballs took "Bottle of Wine" to number 9 on the Hot 100. Although Gilmer was still a member of the group, the band was billed simply as "The Fireballs" on that single. Gilmer left the group in 1969 to pursue artist

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....

 management

Management

Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...

 and record production

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 in Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...

, Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...

. Drummer Doug Roberts died in 1981.

All of the Fireballs' material has been reissued on Ace Records (UK) and Sundazed record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

s. The Fireballs continued performing with original members George Tomsco, Stan Lark and Chuck Tharp until Tharp died of cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

in 2006. Jimmy Gilmer has returned occasionally as lead vocalist and this line-up continues to perform, as of 2008.

Singles

• 2008 (US), JAR218 (UK): "Torquay"/"Cry Baby" 1959
• 2026 (US), JAR276 (UK): "Bulldog"/"Nearly Sunrise" 1950
• 2038 (US), JAR354 (UK): "Foot-Patter"/"Kissin'" 1960
• 2038ST: "Foot-Patter"/"Kissin'" (stereo single) 1960
• 2054: "Vaquero (Cowboy)"/"Chief Whoopin-Koff" 1960
• 2081: "Sweet Talk"/"Almost Paradise" 1960
• 3003: "Rik-A-Tik"/"Yacky Doo" 1961

Albums

• RM-324 (mono only): The Fireballs 1960
• RM-343 (mono), RS-643 (stereo): Vaquero 1960

Singles

(*As The Fireballs **As Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs)

• 16487: **"Sugar Shack"/"My Heart Is Free" 1963
• 16493: *"Torquay Two"/"Peg Leg" 1963
• 16539: **"Daisy Petal Pickin'"/"When My Tears Have Dried" 1963
• 16583: **"Ain't Gonna Tell Nobody"/"Young Am I" 1964
• 16591: *"Daytona Drag"/"Gently Gently" 1964
• 16661: *"Dumbo"/"Mr. Reed" 1964
• 16666: **"Cry Baby"/"Thunder and Lightning" 1964
• 16692: *"Baby What's Wrong"/"Yummie Yama Papa" 1964
• 16715: *"More Than I Can Say"/"Beating Of My Heart" 1965
• 16745: *"Campusology"/"Ahhh! Soul!" 1965
• 16786: **"Rambler's Blues"/"She Belongs To Me" 1965
• 16833: **"Hungry Hungry Hungry"/"White Roses" 1966
• 16834: *"Ja-Da"/"What I Am" 1966
• 16881: **"Ain't That Rain"/"All I Do Is Think Of You" 1966
• 16918: *"Torquay Two"/"Say I Am" 1966
• 16992: **"Shy Girl"/"I Think I'll Catch A Bus" 1967

Albums

• DLP 3512 (mono), DLP 25512 (stereo): Torquay 1963
• DLP 3545/DLP 25545: Sugar Shack 1963
• DLP 3577/DLP 25577: Buddy's Buddy 1964
• DLP 3643/DLP 25643: Lucky 'Leven 1965
• DLP 3668/DLP 25668: Folk Beat 1965
• DLP 3709/DLP 25709: Campusology 1966
• DLP 3856/DLP 25856: Firewater 1968

Singles

• 6491: "Bottle Of Wine"/"Can't You See I'm Tryin'" 1968
• 6569: "Goin' Away"/"Groovy Motions" 1968
• 6595: "Chicken Little"/"3 Minutes Time" 1968
• 6614: "Come On, React!"/"Woman Help Me" 1968
• 6651: "Long Green"/"Light In The Window" 1969
• 6678: "Watch Her Walk"/"Good Morning Shame" 1969

Albums

• 33-239 (mono), SD 33-239 (stereo): Bottle of Wine 1968
• SD 33-275: Come On, React! 1969

External links

• Official site
• [ The Fireballs] at Allmusic.com
• [ Jimmy Gilmer] at Allmusic.com