The T-Bones' History
Winston Weatherill, Stuart Parkes and Andy McKechnie (ex-Giants) formed a new band in February '64. Together with Gary Farr and Andy Steele, they would become "Gary Farr & The T-Bones". Gary Farr, the son of former British Empire Boxing champion Tommy Farr, had worked in a number of jobs including a stint working in his sister’s London jazz club. He was now in his first band. Farr, through his friend Robin Beste, who would become the band’s personal manager, made contact with Hamish Grimes, assistant to Giorgio Gomelsky, the London based promoter and manager of The Yardbirds, who signed the newly formed T-Bones after seeing them perform at the Starlight Rooms. Gomelsky immediately booked The T-Bones into his Croydon Crawdaddy Club, supporting The Yardbirds on Wednesday nights. This would in turn become a residency for The T-Bones when The Yardbirds moved on to the Richmond Crawdaddy, another gig The T-Bones would pick up later when The Yardbirds’ first national hit took them away on tour. The new management bought new equipment and a van for the band, which continued to play regularly at the Florida Rooms in Brighton and other south coast venues. |