Mervyn Spence facts for kids

Mervyn "Spam" Spence, born in 1958, is a talented musician and producer from Northern Ireland. He is well-known for his work as a bass player and singer. Mervyn has played with famous rock bands like Wishbone Ash and Trapeze. He has also released his own music as a solo artist.

Mervyn Spence's Musical Journey

Mervyn Spence moved from Ireland to Staffordshire, England, in the late 1970s. There, he started playing music with local bands. Some of these early bands included The Jury and Big Daisy. This was the start of his long career in music.

Joining Trapeze

While playing in local bands, Mervyn was noticed by Mel Galley. Mel Galley was a guitarist for the band Trapeze. He asked Mervyn to join Trapeze as their new bass player and singer. The previous singer, Peter Goalby, had left to join another band.

Mervyn toured with Trapeze for a short time. During this period, they recorded songs for a new album. However, the album was never officially released. This was because Mel Galley left the band to join Whitesnake. Some of the songs Mervyn recorded with Trapeze later became part of a project called Phenomena. Mervyn later joined Phenomena to sing and play bass on their 1992 album, "Innervision." For this album, he was known as "O'Ryan."

Playing with Wishbone Ash

After Trapeze broke up, Mervyn Spence got a chance to audition for Wishbone Ash. This was a well-known rock band. Mervyn was trying to get his own music heard by different companies at the time.

He impressed the band with his strong singing voice and his energy. Because of this, Mervyn became a member of Wishbone Ash. He played on one of their albums, called Raw to the Bone, which came out in 1985.

After Wishbone Ash

Mervyn Spence left Wishbone Ash in 1986. He wanted to focus on his family at that time. After leaving the band, he started releasing his own music. He used the name "O'Ryan," which was his mother's maiden name.

He released two solo albums: Something Strong in 1993 and Initiate in 1995. In the mid-1990s, Mervyn also started teaching. He lectured on topics related to the music industry at Walsall College of Arts and Technology.

Mervyn Spence's Music Albums

Here is a list of some of the albums Mervyn Spence has been a part of:

Solo Albums

• Something Strong (1993; as "O'Ryan")
• "Emer May" (1995; as "O'Ryan")
• Initiate (1995; as "O'Ryan")
• Phenomena Recovered (2023; as "Merv Spence")

With Wishbone Ash

• Raw to the Bone (1985)
• 40th Anniversary Concert: Live In London (2010)
• Raw to the Bone (2018) (This is a remastered version with extra demo and live songs)

With Face Face

• Childhood Dreams (1994)
• Bridge to Nowhere (2006)

With Purple Cross

• Eyes of the Mirror (2000)

With Phenomena

• Phenomena III - Inner Vision (1992, as "O'Ryan")
• The Complete Works (2006)

With Big Daisy

• Big Daisy (2012)