From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Sat Mar 2, 2002  2:28 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Tony Meehan
 
TONY MEEHAN

Born Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan, 2 March 1943, Hampstead, London, England

Drummer / producer. Meehan joined the Shadows in February 1959, replacing
the original Drifters drummer Terry Smart. (For our American friends : The
Shadows, the UK's premier instrumental group, started out as The Drifters,
but had to change their name because there already was an American group
called The Drifters.) He left the Shadows in October 1961 (his replacement
was Brian Bennett), because he wanted to concentrate on his drumming
studies, for which the constant touring with Cliff Richard and the Shadows
left him no time. He also received offers to do session work for Decca.
It was for this label that he teamed up with another ex-Shadow, Jet Harris,
in late 1962. Billed as Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, they had three big
instrumental hits in 1963, including the # 1 "Diamonds". Their records were
also released in the US, but the British Invasion was still a year away. The
partnership came to a premature end after Harris was involved in a serious
car accident in September 1963. Meehan then formed the Tony Meehan
Combo for "Song Of Mexico"(1964), but he failed to emulate earlier success.
The short-lived group included John Paul Jones, later of Led Zeppelin.
Meehan went on to do production work at Decca and, later, other companies.
(More information on the Shadows will follow on Hank Marvin's birthday, 28
October.)