Guitarist/vocalist Brian O'Hara and best friend guitarist/vocalist Joey Bower formed The Two Jays in 1957 and did a six week tour of the Isle of Man. The group changed its name to the Four Jays in September 1959 when bass guitarist/singer Billy Hatton and drummer Brian Redman joined the group. They made their debut at the Cavern Club on 1 March 1961, nearly three weeks before The Beatles. Rhythm guitarist/singer Mike Millward (ex-The Undertakers) joined the Four Jays in November 1961, followed by drummer/singer Dave Lovelady in September 1962. The band changed its name to The Fourmost in June 1962. On 30 June 1963, the group signed a management contract with Brian Epstein. This led to their being auditioned by George Martin and signed to EMI's Parlophone record label. With Epstein as their manager, The Fourmost (like Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas, Peter and Gordon, and Tommy Quickly) had access to early Lennon/McCartney compositions felt to be unsuitable for The Beatles to record. The Fourmost's first two singles were written by John Lennon. "Hello Little Girl", one of the earliest Lennon songs (written in 1957) was released on 30 August 1963 and reached #9 in the UK. Their follow-up single, "I'm in Love" (Lennon/McCartney), was released on 15 November 1963 and reached #17 in the UK. It was also notable as one of the earliest Beatles-penned songs to be released in the United States but, as with the Fourmost's other singles, it failed to chart there. Their biggest hit followed. "A Little Loving", written by Russ Alquist, reached Number 6 in the UK Singles Chart in mid 1964. From then on, none of the group's singles cracked the Top 20 in the UK. "How Can I Tell Her" was followed by a cover version of The Four Tops' "Baby I Need Your Loving", "Everything In The Garden", and "Girls Girls Girls" (originally recorded by The Coasters and a hit for Elvis Presley).

 

If you'd like to update the information about this artist or upload some pictures please click the 'edit' link below.

Edit this page