Rory Storm and The Hurricanes

 

 

Rory Storm & the Hurricanes were Liverpool icons, affectionately remembered on Merseyside but virtually unknown outside the area. Rory's real name was Alan Caldwell. Apart from loving music, he had a passion for sport, particularly athletics. Rory was a consummate artist who believed in 'the show must go on' in any circumstance.

 

At one time they were Liverpool's leading group. They topped the bills above the Beatles. But theirs was the tragic story of the local legend that never made the grade. Although music historians will always remember them as the band that Ringo Starr left to join The Beatles, Rory Storm & The Hurricanes were once one of the leading groups in Liverpool. Known for his wild stage act, Storm and his band were very popular in their home city and had been around since the Fifties when they played skiffle music as The Raving Texans.

 

It was also around this time that The Beatles were playing sell out shows as well. In '62 while Rory and his group were playing a hugh amount of club dates, The Beatles had garnered a recording contract with EMI's Parlophone. In the summer of '62, Ringo Starr would leave The Hurricanes to replace Pete Best in The Beatles. As The Beatles' recordings were climbing the charts, Rory Storm And The Hurricanes were finding it harder to schedule club dates.

 

Despite numerous changes in personnel, particularly on the drummers' stool, they soldiered on, sticking to their rock 'n' roll roots and refusing to adapt to changes in the musical tastes of their audience.

 

Even though the group did manage to record, their releases went virtually unnoticed. It was also around this time that the group would go through many personel changes. Beatles manager Brian Epstein would produce their second single, 1964's America, but again, success eluded them. In '66, guitarist Brian would pass on from complications following an appendicitis operation. With Rory Storm and John Byrne being the constant, the group would continue on playing various dates through the 60's.

 

On 28th September 1972, both Storm and his mother were found dead at their home. Some believe that this was a double suicide, but a post mortem revealed that Storm, at least, had not tried to kill himself.

 

Their deaths remain a mystery, although Shane Fenton, his brother-in-law at the time, commented: "Rory became very ill. He had a chest condition, which meant he couldn't breathe properly. He found it difficult to sleep so he'd take his pills with a drop of scotch, which doped him completely. At the post-mortem it was established that he hadn't taken enough pills to kill himself."

 

Some believe Storm came under the influence of witchcraft and black magick groups, who may have had a hand in his, and other musical performers deaths. According to members of the British Old Catholic Church jurisdiction known as Ecclesia Apostolica Jesu Christi, Storm was involved with local occult figure David Farrant, and may have been the subject of "foul play."

 

Storm first met Farrant at Butlin's camp in North Wales, where he was "subject to his diabolist preachings." Two years earlier, Farrant was convicted of indecency in a Monken Hadley churchyard at Barnet, and although he was never convicted in the death of Storm, Farrant was linked to the death of musician Graham Bond when Farrant's flat containing a black magic altar was raided by Scotland Yard detectives. Farrant went on to be convicted of offences related to Satanism in a London graveyard and also of making black magic threats against witnesses. Farrant received a sentence of almost five years.

 

Rory Storm's funeral service took place at Oakvale Congregational Church, Broadgreen on October 19, 1972 and mourners sang his favourite song, 'You'll Never Walk Alone.' Among the pall bearers were three former members of his group - Johnny Guitar, Jimmy Tushingham and Vince Earl. He was then cremated with his mother at Anfield Crematorium.

 

No member of the Beatles attended Rory's funeral. When asked about this, Ringo Starr said, "I wasn't there when he was born either."

 

Rory Storm was called 'the Golden Boy' and 'Mr Showmanship.' Thirty years after his death, people in Liverpool still talk of him with awe and respect.