Tony Jackson (singer) facts for kids

Anthony Paul Jackson (born 16 July 1940 – died 18 August 2003) was a British musician. He was best known for being a member of the famous Merseybeat band The Searchers.

Tony Jackson's Early Life

Jackson was born in Dingle, Liverpool, England. After finishing school, he went to Walton Technical College. There, he trained to become an electrician.

Tony was inspired by the skiffle music of Lonnie Donegan. He also loved the rock and roll sounds of Buddy Holly and other American artists. He even started his own skiffle group called the Martinis.

Joining The Searchers

Tony Jackson, also known as Black Jake, joined a guitar duo called the Searchers. This group was started by John McNally and Mike Pender in 1959. McNally and Pender first noticed Tony in a Liverpool pub. They heard he had a voice "like Elvis".

The band soon grew to include four members. The drummer Chris Curtis joined them. Tony built his own bass guitar and learned to play it. Learning the bass was hard, so he stopped singing lead vocals. A new singer, Johnny Sandon, joined the band in 1960.

Playing in Liverpool and Hamburg

The Searchers played in many nightclubs in Liverpool. They also performed in the beer bars of Hamburg, Germany. Brian Epstein, who managed the Beatles, thought about signing them. However, he lost interest after seeing Tony fall off the stage at the Cavern Club.

Johnny Sandon left the band in February 1962. In mid-1963, Pye Records signed the band. This happened because the Beatles were very successful. Record companies wanted more bands from Liverpool.

Hits with The Searchers

Tony Jackson was the lead singer and played bass on the band's first two UK hits. These songs were "Sweets for My Sweet" and "Sugar and Spice". However, he was not the singer on their biggest hit, "Needles and Pins". He did play on "Don't Throw Your Love Away" and "Love Potion No. 9".

In 1964, the band toured the United States. They even appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, a very popular TV show.

Tony Jackson and The Vibrations

Forming a New Band

The cover of The Tony Jackson Group's single "You're My Number One".

Tony Jackson was not happy with the Searchers' new sound. He felt they were moving away from rock and roll. He also thought he was not getting enough attention. So, he left the group in July 1964.

He quickly moved to London and started a new band called The Vibrations. This band used an organ more than guitars, which was different from the Searchers.

Early Success and Changes

The Vibrations toured the UK with other popular acts. These included the Hollies and Marianne Faithfull. They released four singles with Pye Records. Only their first song was successful.

In 1965, they changed their name to the Tony Jackson Group. But their fourth single did not do well, and Pye Records stopped working with them. The main members of the Tony Jackson Group were Tony Jackson (vocals/bass), Ian Buisel (guitar), Denis Thompson (bass), Ian Green (organ), Paul Raymond (organ), and Paul Francis (drums).

The Vibrations also released their own version of the song Love Potion No. 9. The band then signed with CBS, but things did not improve. They found it hard to get bookings in the UK. So, they toured southern Europe for a while. Eventually, Tony became disappointed and left the music business.

Later Years and Health

In 1991, Tony Jackson and the Vibrations got back together. An album of Tony's music after the Searchers was released. However, his return to music did not last long. He did perform a few times with Mike Pender's Searchers between 1992 and 1995.

Tony Jackson took on different jobs over the years. He worked as a nightclub manager, a furniture salesman, and a golf club manager. In the 1980s, he tried to start a Searchers revival band. But other similar bands already existed, making it hard for him.

Later in life, Tony developed severe arthritis in his hands. This made it impossible for him to play the guitar, even for fun. He was married three times during his life.

Mike Pender, a member of the Searchers, described Tony as "highly-talented with a great sense of humour." He also said Tony "could be very difficult and confrontational."

Tony Jackson's Passing

Towards the end of his life, Tony Jackson faced several health challenges. He suffered from diabetes and heart disease. Tony Jackson passed away on 18 August 2003, in a Nottingham hospital. He was 63 years old.

Frank Allen, who took Tony's place in the Searchers in 1964, shared his thoughts:

It was so sad to hear of Tony Jackson`s death. It wasn`t entirely unexpected. When he visited our dressing room earlier in the year at Nottingham`s Royal Concert Hall it was immediately apparent that he was far from being a well man. In fact the deterioration from his appearance at our Appreciation Society Convention less than a year ago was quite shocking. He could not walk unaided by a stick and had difficulty speaking.

One of the more pleasant aspects was that all the old troubles and resentments following his departure from the Searchers in 1964 had evaporated and we could at last reminisce like old friends. If he held a grudge at me for taking his job he did not show it.

Discography

With The Searchers

Studio albums

Singles

EPs

With Tony Jackson and The Vibrations

Singles