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Biography
For|the psychobilly band|Fireballs (band) The Fireballs , sometimes billed as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs , is an United States|American rock and roll 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, New Mexico|Raton , New Mexico , and got their start as an instrumental group, featuring the very distinctive lead guitar of George Tomsco. They sound recording and reproduction|recorded at Norman Petty 's recording studio|studio in Clovis, New Mexico , where Buddy Holly had previously launched his career. They reached the Billboard Hot 100|Top 40 with the single (music)|singles "Torquay" (1959), "Bulldog" (1960) and "Quite a Party" (1961). "Quite a Party" peaked at #29 in the UK Singles Chart in August 1961.cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 200 Tharp, Budd and Trammell left the group in the early 1960s, adding Doug Roberts on drums, plus Petty Studio solo vocalist, singer / pianist 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 Hot 100|Billboard record chart|chart with " Sugar Shack ", which remained at that position for five weeks in 1963. The single also reached number 1 on Hot R& B/Hip-Hop Songs|Billboard's R& B chart for one week in November of that year, but its run on that chart was cut short because Billboard R& B number-one hits of 1963 (USA)|ceased publishing an R& B chart from November 30, 1963 to January 23, 1965. Nonetheless, "Sugar Shack" earned the group a Music recording sales certification|Gold Record Award for "Top Song Of 1963".cite book | first= Joseph | last= Murrells | year= 1978 | title= The Book of Golden Discs | edition= 2nd | publisher= Barrie and Jenkins Ltd | location= London | page= 159 | isbn= 0-214-20512-6 In the United Kingdom|UK 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 began with the first hits by the Beatles . The group had difficulty competing with the influx of United Kingdom|British artists and did not reach the Top 40 again until 1968, with "Bottle of Wine," which was written by Tom Paxton . 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.cite web| url = http://www.classicbands.com/FireballsInterview.html | title = Gary James' Interview With George Tomsco Of The Fireballs | accessdate = 2006-11-22| author = James, Gary | work = classicbands.com Gilmer left the group in 1969 to pursue musician|artist management and record producer|record production in Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville , Tennessee . Drummer Doug Roberts died in 1981.
All of the Fireballs' material has been reissued on Ace Records (UK) and Sundazed record label s. The Fireballs continued performing with original members George Tomsco, Stan Lark and Chuck Tharp until Tharp died of cancer in 2006. Jimmy Gilmer has returned occasionally as lead vocalist and this line-up continues to perform, as of 2008.
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
References
reflist
External links
http://www.fireballs-original.com/ Official site
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p26417/biography|pure_url=yes The Fireballs at Allmusic.com
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p30354/biography|pure_url=yes Jimmy Gilmer at Allmusic.com
Billboard Year-End number one singles 1960–1979 DEFAULTSORT:Fireballs, The Category:American rock music groups Category:Dot Records artists Category:Top Rank Records artists Category:Rock music groups from New Mexico
