Tommy Eyre

[vox]

My childhood friend and school pal Tommy Eyre occasionally gets a brief mention whenever Joe Cocker is spoken of, as he was keyboard player with The Grease Band. However, few people in Sheffield seem ever to have heard of him. This extremely talented and prolific musician played with everyone who is anyone in the musical world. A few from hundreds are Cocker, BB King, Gerry Rafferty, Wham, Garry Moore & Alex Harvey. Tommy died from cancer in May 2001.

Here's a bit about him from a website run by a friend of mine. Look at the seemingly endless list of names and credits.

For even more just Google - "Tommy Eyre".

[Guest sgregory]

Hiya,

My memories of Tommy Eyre (aka Fred) was back in 1964 when his band played for my 16th birthday at a Scouts Hut in Brinsworth Rotherham. Tommy was a fabulous musician even then and I got involved with one of the other guitarists (shamefully I can't remember his name, but we went out together for a while and during that time the band would practise above a hairdressers in Frechville, and I would go up there and sometimes sing with them, but I never sang on stage as I would become petrified. We would also meet up at Tommys parents or grandparents house in Hackenthorpe, which ever it was, there was a piano in the corner, and Tommy would experiment by putting drawing pins in the hammers to make it sound Honky Tonk, he would also strap a microphone to his throat when he sang, (ironic really when he died of cancer of the throat). Anyway you could see the potential even as a young man, and on one occasion the band entered a competition and something happened to the transport and my dad took us all to the competition where they eventually won something like best under 18 band, or something like that. I lost touch when the lad I was going out with ended our relationship, though I did see him some years later and by this time he was not involved with the band and Tommy had gone on to play with Joe Cocker, in fact this guy was by then involved in drugs, sadly I don't know what happened to any of the other band members, but Tommy has also been at the back of my mind, and I did, to some extent, follow his progress through the years. Nice lad, not nterested in girls as I recall, just totally focused on his music.

Regards,

Sonia.

[THYLACINE]

Hi Sonya,

Thanks for your post and the wonderful memories. An excellent read.

There was an earlier conversation on Sheffield History about Tommy Eyre you might like to read.

I have put the link below. Tommy is first mentioned in post #13 where Vox is reminiscing about his schooldays.

Please post again if you remember anything else.

[julie56]

Hi Sonya,

Thanks for your post and the wonderful memories. An excellent read.

There was an earlier conversation on Sheffield History about Tommy Eyre you might like to read.

I have put the link below. Tommy is first mentioned in post #13 where Vox is reminiscing about his schooldays.

Please post again if you remember anything else.

hi my name is julie and tommy eyre was my cousin as he was a bit older than me and always off playing music and travelling we did not see much of him, but i remember my aunty gladys saying he first started playing the piano in the staniforth arms at darnall unfortunately our tommy passed away but his mum is still alive and well at the age of 87 and i am still in touch with his brother simon and two sisters

[John Cooper]

My name is John Cooper  i was in the first band with Tommy Eyre ,from the first time i met him his attention and detail to music was never ending, what a brilliant musical person ,his father was also a really good on the piano  Tommy used to re jig most of the songs we played

most of out songs were Chuck Berry related 

The band members Sonia mentioned was myself bass guitar ,Geoff Dalton the lost boyfriend ,Tony Tricklebank, drums and later a sax player cant remember his name..

The competition we entered and won was at a school in Clay Cross ,,,, the cup we won was about the size of an egg cup

Good memories of past years .really sorry Tommy has left us , i am sure his brother Simon will have the same interest in music as Tommy

i also remember he had a sister Jane i have often wondered if she was musical

John Cooper

jcooper4066@gmail.com