Tommy Quickly
 |
Tommy Quickly | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Thomas Quigley |
| Born | 7 July 1945 Norris Green, Liverpool, Lancashire, England |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1962–1966 |
| Labels | Piccadilly, Pye |
| Formerly of | The Remo Four |
Tommy Quickly (born Thomas Quigley, 7 July 1945) is an English retired rock and roll singer who recorded mostly in the early 1960s. He was a later signing of artist manager Brian Epstein, whose biggest act was the Beatles.
Quickley retired from music in 1966 after suffering a breakdown. His whereabouts from 1966 onwards are unknown, but it is believed he lives in Skelmersdale.
Early life
[edit]He was born in Liverpool to Patrick Quigley and Dorothy Gower.[1] He is the twin brother of Patricia Quigley. His childhood home was at 63 Swallowhurst Crescent in Norris Green.[1] He worked at the Automatic Telephone Company when he started singing in nightclubs with backing group The Challengers.[2]
His earliest known appearance was a civil service club in May 1962. Members of the Challengers included his sisters on vocals, Robin Gilmore on lead guitar, Pete Wilson on rhythm guitar, Ray Dawson on bass guitar, and Ian Bailey on drums.[2] He appeared with the group on the same bill as The Beatles at the Majestic Ballroom in Birkenhead on 31 January 1963 advertised as "Johnny Quickly & The Challengers".[2]
Professional career
[edit]Brian Epstein noticed Tommy when he opened a show at a NEMS Enterprises Beatles promotion at the Queens Hall in Widnes.[2] Spotted as the vocalist with local group the Challengers, he was not signed until almost a year later;[2] Epstein liked Quigley but not the band, suggesting first a name change (to "Tommy Quickly and the Stops"), then pairing him instead with the Remo Four.[3] The next change was in song selection; while Quickly's voice was best suited to rhythm and blues, Epstein steered him toward pop songs, starting with his first single, "Tip of My Tongue", written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles.[3] He then made the usual round of appearances on stage and in public, and was promoted by Epstein as part of his NEMS Enterprises artist stable.[3]
"Tip of My Tongue" was a flop, as were his next three singles. His fifth single, "Wild Side of Life", made the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart,[3] spending eight weeks there.[4] Quickly was offered the Lennon–McCartney song "No Reply", but when he failed to issue it, the Beatles took it back and recorded it themselves. Described as young, naive and impulsive, and seemingly overwhelmed with matters since parting with the Challengers, Quickly was ill-prepared for the spotlight. When follow-up hits did not materialise, and with manager Epstein unable to push him further, Quickly retired from the music industry in 1965.[3] He left NEMS in February 1966 to sign with the George Cooper Organisation for a short time.[2] Switching to television, Quickly served as co-host of The Five O'Clock Club, a variety show aimed at children under twelve, from January 1965 to January 1966.[5] Later that year he spent tıme in Walton Hospital, Liverpool, suffering from a breakdown; he has remained out of the spotlight ever since.
Tommy Quickly and the Remo Four can be seen performing "Humpty Dumpty" in the 1965 film Pop Gear (released in the United States as Go Go Mania).[6]
In popular culture
[edit]Tommy Quickly is portrayed by British actor Andrew Gower in the 2020 independent short film, Humpty Fu*king Dumpty, which depicts Quickly's mental breakdown after his career failed. The film was written and directed by Stephen Walters, and released on 8 May 2020.[7]
Singles
[edit]| Year | Catalog number | Label | A side | B side | UK peak[8] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963[9] | 7N 35137 | Piccadilly | "Tip of My Tongue" | "Heaven Only Knows" | – |
| 1964 | 7N 35167 | "Prove It" | "Haven't You Noticed" | – | |
| 7N 35151 | "Kiss Me Now” | "No Other Love" | – | ||
| 7N 35183 | "You Might as Well Forget Him" | "It's as Simple as That" | – | ||
| 7N 15708 | Pye | "The Wild Side of Life" | "Forget the Other Guy" | 33 | |
| 7N 15748 | "Humpty Dumpty" | "I'll Go Crazy" | – |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "QUICKLY T". LIVERPOOL FOOTPRINTS. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mersey Beat - Tommy Quickly". Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 363. ISBN 0-7535-0149-X.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 446. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "TV Pop Diaries - Five O'Clock Club". www.tvpopdiaries.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ Modculture (19 October 2011). "Pop Gear (1965)". Modculture. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "Home | Humpty Fu*king Dumpty". HumptyFu*kingDumpty. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "WILD SIDE OF LIFE". Official Charts. 28 October 1964. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
- ^ "Disc" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 20 July 1963.
External links
[edit]- Tommy Quickly: A Manager Recalls
- An overview, including a photograph at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2009)
- Tommy Quickly at IMDb
- Tommy Quickly Oxford Reference
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