The Raving Texans. Old Swan based skiffle group started by athletic golden boy Alan Caldwell (later Rory Storm) and his best mate John (Guitar) Byrnes. Flexible personnel. 

Got through to local final of Stanley Dale's Skiffle contest (March 1958); won a free holiday in a People-sponsored contest (June 1958); played loads of gigs - including numerous skiffle sessions at the Cavern...pissing off the promoter by introducing wild rock'n'roll rave-ups! Attracted worshipping female fans! 

Line-up 

Rory Storm: guitar, vocal (to Rory Storm & the H.); 
Johnny Guitar: guitar, vocal (to Rory Storm & the H.); 
Paul Murphy: guitar, vocal (to the Galvinisers/Banshees/Onlookers/etc.); 
Spud Ward: bass (replaced Jeff Truman, tea chest bass); 
Reg Hales: washboard. 

    August 1959 to December 1961

Rory Storm & the Hurricanes. Bob Wooler declared them third most popular group in Liverpool (October 1961). 

Came 2nd out of 150 groups on the Carroll Levis Show (October 1959); where soon playing six nights a week - resplendent in bright red suits from Duncans; went to Hamburg-played alongside the Beatles at the Kaiserkeller (October - December 1960). 
 
 
 
 
 

Line-up 

Rory Storm: vocal (from the Raving Texans); 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal (from the Raving Texans); 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ringo Starr: drums; 
Lu Walters: bass, vocal.

 
 

March 1962 to August 1962
 

Lu had popped off to play in the Seniors; Ringo had whizzed to Hamburg to join Tony Sheridan's Band...but was now back. 

Went to France to play the U.S. Air Bases (often with the Remo 4) and then spent all summer playing for holidaymakers at Butlins in Skegness. Whilst there, Ringo received letters from both the Dominoes and...the Beatles! 
 
 
 
 

Line-up
Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Bobby Thompson: bass, vocal (joined Kingsize Tailor & the Dominoes); 
Ringo Starr: drums (joined the Beatles). 
 
 
 

September 1962 to January 1963
 

Lu returned-following the final collapse of the Seniors. Gibson joins Liverpool's most glamorous group... going through a bad spell. 

From Johnny's diary: "Group not very good these days; no new songs; will have to improve. Not much work... another three months in France cancelled." Played around the city - as merseybeat got rolling! 
 
 
 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Lu Walters: bass, vocal; 
Gibson Kemp: drums (joined Kingsize Taylor & the Dominoes); 
 
 
 
 

February 1963 to February 1964

Rory was a flamboyant Showman and Johnny was a dynamic Pete Townshend-style guitarist. Amazing live! 

The group's progress was severely hampered by their inability to find a solid, permanent drummer... Ringo's red suit was passed down to several! Brian Johnson drummed on their contribution to THIS IS MERSEYBEAT, then left to join Mark Peters' Silhouettes; Keef Hartley joined from Preston's Thunderbeats, and went with them to Hamburg - where he did a swap with Midnighters' drummer Ian Broad...who promptly left to join the "Seniors"! Former Faron's Flamingo Trevor Morais filled in for a while! 
 
 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Lu Walters: bass, vocal; 
Brian Johnson: drums (Feb to May 63); 
Keff Hartley: drums (Jun to Nov 63); 
Ian Broad: drums (Nov 63 only); 
Trevor Morais: drums (Dec 63 to Jan 64). 
 
 
 
 
 

Rory Storm & the Hurricanes had 3 tracks on John Shroeder's THIS IS MERSEYBEAT albums - I Can Tell, Beautiful Dreamer, and Dr. Feelgood. Dr. Feelgood was also released as a single by Oriole - a crap label if ever there was one! 
 
 
 
 
 

February 1964 to December 1964
 

The group stabilises with the arrival of a like-minded drummer, Jimmy Tush. 

Bill Harry bewails their lack of success in Merseybeat - thinks that a  good manager would have elevated them to international stardom. Brian Epstein tried to help them by producing a single - America - a ridiculous choice which just buried them deeper. 

Rory's sister, Iris, thinks national fame was unimportant to him..."he was happy to be the King of Liverpool; he was never keen on touring-he didn't want to give up running for Pembroke Harriers... and he'd never miss a Liverpool football match!". 
 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Lu Walters: bass, vocal (now a psychiatric nurse); 
Jimmy Tushingham: drums (from the Four Clefs). 
 
 
 

February 1965 to early 1966

Vince Earl - erstwhile leader of the Zeros and the Talismen - joined and they went off to Germany (UK gigs were tailing off). 

Vince left in August, and Dave May joined from Mark Peters & the Silhouettes. Apparently, Ringo had fixed it so they could go into a studio and record whenever they liked - but Rory hated rehearsing new material...they still did the same old rock'n'roll standards they started with. 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal; 
Jimmy Tushingham: drums; 
Vince Earl: bass, vocal (joined the Connoisseurs); 
Dave May: bass (the Phase Three). 
 
 

Early 1966 to early 1967

A prototype for Rod Stewart and Gary Glitter, Rory continued to knock 'em dead wherever he appeared - still leaping around, still combing his locks, still shaking up a storm...!!! The fun came to an abrupt halt when Ty was taken ill on stage. He was rushed to hospital with complications arising from a recent appendicitis operation...and there he died. The band fell apart - leaving the original indivisible duo of Rory and Johnny wondering what the hell to do now. 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal; 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal; 
Ty Brian: lead guitar, vocal (died, aged 26); 
Jimmy Tushingham: drums (joined the Connoisseurs); 
Karl Terry: bass (ex-Cruisers); 
Hundreds More!: bass. 

Spring 1967

A vain attempt to get going again. Karlson and Lord - aka Wilkinson - were original Mojos. 

When the group folded, Rory worked as a disc jockey in Benidorm and Amsterdam. His death remains a mistery: he was taking sleeping pills to help alleviate a chest condition - and died in the night. The tabloids made it headline news. 

Line-up

Rory Storm: vocal (died 28.9.72); 
Johnny Guitar: lead guitar, vocal (now an ambulance man/custodian of Mersey Boom archives); 
Carl Rich: drums; 
Keith Karlson: bass; 
Adrian Lord: guitar. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 SINGLES

'Dr Feelgood'/'I Can Tell'   ORIOLE 45-CB 1858      12/63 

'America'/                           PARLOPHONE R 5197  11/64 
'Since You Broke My Heart' 

Also featured on both volumes of the compilation This is Merseybeat, but, considering their importance to the development of beat music on Merseyside, very few releases. Roy wasn't on 'Since You Broke My Heart'. The vocals were handled by Lu Walters and Johnny Guitar.