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Tony Jackson (singer)

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For other articles of people with the same name, see Tony Jackson.

Tony Jackson
Jackson in 1964
Background information
Birth nameAnthony Paul Jackson
Born(1940-07-16)16 July 1940
Dingle, Liverpool, England
Died18 August 2003(2003-08-18) (aged 63)
Nottingham, England
OccupationMusician
Years active
  • 1959–1967
  • 1980s–1996
LabelsPye Records, CBS
Formerly ofThe Searchers, Tony Jackson and The Vibrations

Anthony Paul Jackson[citation needed] (16 July 1940 – 18 August 2003) was a British musician. He was known for being a member of the Merseybeat band The Searchers.

Career

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Main article: The Searchers (band)

Born in Dingle, Liverpool, he was an apprentice electrician studying at Walton Technical College.[1][2] Jackson joined the Searchers, which had been formed by John McNally and Mike Pender in 1959. He was spotted by McNally and Pender in the Cross Keys in Liverpool,[2] upon hearing that he "had a voice like Elvis".[3][4][5] They played in Liverpool's nightclubs and the beer bars of Hamburg, Germany. Brian Epstein considered signing them but he lost interest after seeing a drunken Jackson fall off the stage at the Cavern Club.[6]

Jackson was lead singer on the band’s first two British hits, "Sweets for My Sweet" and "Sugar and Spice".[7] Jackson left the Searchers at the height of their fame in July 1964.[8] He then formed Tony Jackson and The Vibrations. The principal members of the Tony Jackson Group included: Jackson (lead vocals/bass), Ian Buisel (guitar), Denis Thompson (bass), Ian Green (organ), Paul Raymond (later of UFO, organ) and Paul Francis (drums).[9][10]

The cover of The Tony Jackson Group's single "You're My Number One", with Jackson's face plastered on the left.

The Vibrations released their own interpretation of the Searchers version of the Rhythm and Blues song Love Potion No. 9.[11] The band released a cover of Mary Wells' song "Bye, Bye, Baby"[12] which actually in the UK charts, the only Vibrations song to chart, peaking at number 38.[13] The group changed their name to "The Tony Jackson Group" in mid 1965 and were active until early 1967. In 1985, Mike Pender left the Searchers to make his own Searchers band. He offered Jackson a role in the band, but he turned it down.[1]

Personal life

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After leaving the Searchers Jackson spent £200 (equivalent to £5,100 in 2023[14]) on cosmetic surgery on his nose. He said at the time that he had had a lifelong complex about his nose to the extent that he could not mix socially. The surgery had followed psychiatric treatment. He lived in Warwickshire for a while[12] before moving to Nottingham, where he would eventually die.

Jackson took a variety of jobs including Spanish night club manager, entertainments representative, furniture salesman, disc jockey and golf club manager in Kidderminster.[4][12] In 1996, Jackson was on a call in a payphone, when a woman asked him to hurry up as she wanted to ring her fiance; Jackson pulled out his air pistol and threatened to kill her.[2] He was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, and was released the next year.[6][15]

The arthritis in his hands became so bad that he had to abandon even recreational guitar playing.[6] In 2002 he said, "The spirit's willing, but the body's knackered."[16] Jackson was married three times during his life.[4] He was described by Searchers member Mike Pender as "highly-talented with a great sense of humour, but could also be very difficult and confrontational", stating that he would "sometimes (be) offering to fight anyone in an audience who upset him".[3]

Death

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Towards the end of his life he suffered from diabetes, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver from a lifetime of heavy alcohol consumption. Jackson died on 18 August 2003 in a Nottingham hospital, he was 63.[7] He died shortly after midnight.[15] In a BBC obituary, Jackson was described as "penniless" when he died.[17] Frank Allen, who replaced Jackson as vocalist and bassist in the Searchers in 1964, said about his death:[4]

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

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With The Searchers

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Main article: The Searchers discography

With Tony Jackson and The Vibrations/The Tony Jackson Group

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Tony Jackson and The Vibrations singles The Tony Jackson Group singles
  • "Stage Door/That's What I Want" (July 1965)[8]
  • "You're My Number One/Let Me Know" (January 1966)[8]
  • "Never Leave Your Baby's Side/I'm The One She Really Thinks A Lot Of" (May 1966)[8]
  • "Follow Me/Walk That Walk" (September 1966)[8]
  • "Anything Else You Want/Come On And Stop" (November 1966)[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b Laing, Dave (20 August 2003). "Tony Jackson". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b c "Tony Jackson". The Independent. 18 August 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Tony Jackson".
  4. ^ a b c d "Jacobsladder.org.uk". 8 May 2004. Archived from the original on 8 May 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  5. ^ "The untold story of Tony Jackson and The Vibrations Latest MPS News item Mike Pender's Searchers". www.mikependersearchers.co.uk. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Sixties City - Bill Harry's Sixties - articles from the creator of iconic 60s music paper Mersey Beat". sixtiescity.net. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b Tony Jackson, 63; Singer, Bass Player for the Searchers
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Tony Jackson & The Vibrations". web.archive.org. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Tony Jackson Group". Discogs. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  10. ^ Francis, Paul (2011). Drumming Up Vibrations. UK: Twizz Publications (22 Sep 2011). p. 192. ISBN 978-0-9569722-0-0. 'Paul Francis, Drummer of the Vibrations, story of being on the road and in the studio with Tony Jackson and the Vibrations'
  11. ^ "Tony Jackson & The Vibrations". Spotify. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  12. ^ a b c Echo, Liverpool (18 August 2003). "Searcher Tony dies". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  13. ^ a b "TONY JACKSON AND THE VIBRATIONS". Official Charts. 14 October 1964. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  14. ^ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b Standard, Mark Reynolds, Evening (13 April 2012). "Searchers star passes away". The Standard. Retrieved 9 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "Tony Jackson". The Telegraph. 20 August 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Legacy of a 1960s pop star". 27 August 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
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