The Starfires (Cleveland band)

Infobox musical artist |
Name = The Starfires


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Origin = Cleveland, Ohio
Genre = Rock and roll
Years_active = 1958-1965
Label = Pama
Associated_acts = The Outsiders
Climax
the James Gang
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Current_members =
Past_members = Tom King
Mert Madsen
Walter Nims
Howard Blank
Dennis Slifko
Tony Sawyer
Jimmy (Jim) Fox
Sonny Geraci
Ronnie Harkai
Al Austin
Richard D'Amato

"The Starfires" is a rock and roll band founded in Cleveland in 1958 by Tom King when he was only 15. The band is sometimes identified as Tom King and the Starfires. King is best known as the original bandleader of the Outsiders; however, it was only at the insistence of Capitol Records that the band's name was changed when they created their breakout hit "Time Won't Let Me". [Bruce Eder, All Music Guide, and also the source of the other unreferenced material.] (This is not the same band as the Starfires, a 1960's Los Angeles garage rock band best known for their classic "I Never Loved Her".)

History of the Band

"The Starfires" were formed by Tom King at Shaw High School in Cleveland, Ohio in 1958 and remained a popular local band through the mid-1960's. Their forte was rhythm and blues instrumentals, with occasional vocals by King. Also, his uncle, Patrick Connelly owned a record company, Pama Records; and the band (along with at least one single by Tom King individually) produced several sides over this period, notably "Stronger than Dirt" (which charted locally) that was based on the well-known jingle for Ajax Laundry Detergent. After a tonsillectomy, King's vocal abilities became limited, so he added a new lead singer, Sonny Geraci and changed the band's sound somewhat to match the musical tastes of the period. This led to the eventual creation of the Outsiders "(see article)".

Post Break-Up

Tom King, Sonny Geraci, Mert Madsen, Al Austin, and Ronnie Harkai were the members of "the Starfires" when the name was changed to "the Outsiders" in 1965.

Walter Nims, Jimmy Fox and Richard D'Amato joined "the Outsiders" at a later time, though they were not in the original line-up.

Sonny Geraci and Walter Nims were among the founding members of Climax.

Jimmy (Jim) Fox was the founder of the James Gang, a popular Cleveland rock band in the late 1960's and 1970's..

Band Members [Bruce Eder, op. cit.]

* Tom King, "guitarist, vocals"
* Walter Nims, "lead guitar"
* Howard Blank, "drums"
* Dennis Slifko, "saxophone"
* Mert Madsen, "bass guitar, hamonica,'Baking group araingements'( Joined Tom in late 1958)
* Tony Sawyer, "saxophone" (joined in the early 1960's)
* Jimmy Fox, "drums" (joined in the early 1960's)
* Sonny Geraci, "lead vocals" (joined in 1964)
* Ronnie Harkai, "drums" (joined in 1964)

Discography

ingles

Retrospective Album

"Roots of the Outsiders"; Collectables Records.

References