This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2016) |
Tony Meehan | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan |
Also known as | "The Baron" |
Born | New End, Hampstead, North London, England | 2 March 1943
Died | 28 November 2005 Paddington, London, England | (aged 62)
Genres | Rock 'n' Roll |
Occupation(s) | Drummer, music producer and arranger, lecturer in psychology |
Instrument | Drums |
Years active | 1956–1990 |
Labels | |
Formerly of |
Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan (2 March 1943 – 28 November 2005[1]) was a founder member of the British group the Drifters with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, which evolved into the Shadows. He played drums on early Cliff Richard and the Shadows hits and on early Shadows' instrumentals.
Meehan was professionally nicknamed "The Baron" by his many admirers and friends within the British pop-rock music industry. He is reckoned to have influenced many thousands of teenage boys and adolescents to take up music as a career, including Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, as a result of his iconic film performance in Cliff Richard's film The Young Ones. His drumming style (cf. "Bongo Blues", "Apache") is noticeably different from that of other drummers who the Shadows employed during 1958–2010 such as Brian Bennett, Clem Cattini and Trevor Spencer. In his contribution to the 1961 book The Shadows by Themselves, Meehan gives advice to all would-be drummers on drum-kit care and maintenance.