Tony O'Malley (musician)

Last updated

Tony O'Malley
Tony O'Malley (musician).jpg
O'Malley at The Three Mariners, Faversham in 2008
Background information
Born (1948-07-15) 15 July 1948 (age 76)
Origin Bushey, Hertfordshire, England.
Genres Jazz, funk, soul, blues
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Instrument(s)vocals, keyboards.
Years active1968 – present
Website Tony O'Malley

Tony O'Malley (born 15 July 1948 in Bushey, Hertfordshire) is a British composer, singer, arranger, and keyboard player. He was the keyboardist for Arrival [1] who had a No. 8 UK hit with "Friends" (written by Terry Reid) in 1970, and the hit "I Will Survive", written and arranged by fellow Arrival member Frank Collins. Following this he became one of the founder members of the british soul band Kokomo. [1] [2] [3] [4] He joined 10cc in 1977, [5] after the departures of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, and played on their live album, Live and Let Live . [6]

O'Malley lived and worked in Georgia for four years, [7] where he became a national television star, leaving in 2008 for his new domicile, Brussels, and returning to England in 2012. [8] His song, "Hear My Plea", was one of the proposed songs for Georgia's 2009 Eurovision Song Contest entry. [9] He has worked with Pino Palladino, Laurence Cottle, Andy Newmark, Hamish Stuart, Alan Spenner, Jim Mullen, Gordon Haskell Adam Phillips, Jody Linscott, Ash Soan, Mel Collins, Mark Smith, Mornington Lockett, Jeremy Stacey, Ian Thomas and Neil Hubbard.

In May 2008, O'Malley was part of the reformed Kokomo, with Mel Collins, Neil Hubbard, Mark Smith, Adam Phillips, Andy Hamilton, Bernie Holland, Glen Le Fleur, Paddy McHugh, Dyan Birch and Frank Collins, [2] which also included performances by Eddy Armani and Franke Pharaoh.

O'Malley then formed a band, singing and playing Hammond organ, with Belgian musicians Frank De Ruyter (tenor sax), Patrick Deltenre (guitar), Frédéric Jacquelmin (drums), and the French bassist Thierry Fandant. [3]

The current 'Tony O'Malley Band' includes Richie Aikman on guitar, Sonny Winslow on bass and Ally McDougal on drums.[ citation needed ]

Tony O'Malley is the brother of playwright Mary O'Malley, who wrote the plays Once a Catholic and Oy Vay Maria.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camel (band)</span> English progressive rock band

Camel are an English progressive rock band formed in Guildford, Surrey, in 1971. Led by guitarist Andrew Latimer, they have released fourteen studio albums and fourteen singles, plus numerous live albums and DVDs. Without achieving mass popularity, the band gained a cult following in the 1970s with albums such as Mirage (1974) and The Snow Goose (1975). They moved into a jazzier, more commercial direction in the early 1980s, but then went on an extended hiatus. Since 1991 the band has been independent, releasing albums on their own label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Bruce</span> Scottish musician (1943–2014)

John Symon Asher Bruce was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Bozzio</span> American drummer (born 1950)

Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons, U.K., and Frank Zappa. He has been featured on nine solo or collaborative albums, 26 albums with Zappa and seven albums with Missing Persons. Bozzio has been a prolific sideman, playing on numerous releases by other artists since the mid-1970s. He was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Phillips (drummer)</span> English drummer (born 1957)

Simon Phillips is an English jazz fusion and rock drummer, songwriter, and record producer, based in the United States. He worked with rock bands during the 1970s and 1980s, and was the drummer for the band Toto from 1992 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Levin</span> American bassist (born 1946)

Anthony Frederick Levin is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (1981–2021) and Peter Gabriel. He is also a member of Liquid Tension Experiment, Bruford Levin Upper Extremities (1998–2000) and HoBoLeMa (2008–2010). He has led his own band, Stick Men, since 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Rich</span> American jazz drummer and bandleader (1917–1987)

Bernard "Buddy" Rich was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10cc</span> British art rock band

10cc are a British rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians — Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme — who had written and recorded together since 1968. All four members contributed to songwriting, working together in various permutations. Godley and Creme’s songwriting has been described as being inspired by art and cinema. Every member of 10cc was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer. Most of the band's records were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Grease Band</span> British Rock band associated with Joe Cocker

The Grease Band was a British rock band that originally formed as Joe Cocker's backing group. They appeared with Cocker during the 1960s, including his performance at the Woodstock Festival in August 1969. The band's name derived from an interview Cocker had read with the American jazz organist Jimmy Smith, who had approvingly described another performer as having "a lot of grease", with "grease" referring to soul. After Cocker formed the Mad Dogs & Englishmen album band line-up, the group released two albums without him in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kokomo (song)</span> 1988 single by the Beach Boys

"Kokomo" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from the 1988 film Cocktail and album Still Cruisin'. Written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher, the song was released as a single in July 1988 by Elektra Records and became a number one hit in the US and Australia. It was the band's first original top-20 single in 20 years and their first number-one hit in 22 years as well as their final top 40 hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mel Collins</span> British musician (born 1947)

Melvyn Desmond Collins is a British saxophonist, flautist and session musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning</span> 1955 song by Frank Sinatra

"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is a 1955 popular song composed by David Mann, with lyrics by Bob Hilliard. It was introduced as the title track of Frank Sinatra's 1955 album In the Wee Small Hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Hubbard</span> British guitarist

Neil Terrence Hubbard is a British guitarist who has performed with Juicy Lucy, The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, Alvin Lee, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, Dexys Midnight Runners, Bryan Ferry and Tony O'Malley, and played on the original 1970 concept album Jesus Christ Superstar.

Kokomo are a British band whose members were prime exponents of British soul in the 1970s. They released three albums, and the second Rise & Shine was described as "the finest British funk album of the 1970s".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keef Trouble</span> Musical artist

Keef Trouble is an English singer, songwriter and musician.

James Joseph Wisner was an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his 1961 hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Collins (musician)</span> Musical artist

Frank Collins is an English composer, singer and arranger who was a prominent member of the bands The Excels, Arrival, and Kokomo. He wrote Arrival's 1970s Top 10 hit record, "I Will Survive" ; a band that included keyboard and vocalist Tony O'Malley, vocalists Dyan Birch and Paddy McHugh, saxophonist Mel Collins, guitarist Neil Hubbard, guitarist Jim Mullen, bass player Alan Spenner, percussionist Jody Linscott, and drummer Terry Stannard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Smith (musician)</span> Musical artist

Mark Alexander Smith was a British bass guitarist and record producer, who became known as a session musician for numerous artists and also as one-time bass guitarist for the mid-1980s synth-rock band, Boys Don't Cry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Phillips (musician)</span> British guitarist

Adam Phillips is a British guitarist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comin' Home Baby</span> 1961 song by Dave Bailey Quintet

"Comin' Home Baby" is a song originally written as an instrumental by Ben Tucker and first recorded by the Dave Bailey Quintet in 1961, and shortly thereafter by Herbie Mann. Lyrics were added by Bob Dorough, and the vocal version became a US Top 40 hit for American jazz singer Mel Tormé in 1962. The song has since been covered numerous times.

Gene Orloff was an American violinist, concertmaster, arranger, contractor and session musician.

References

  1. 1 2 "Kokomo", Dinosaurdays. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  2. 1 2 Williams, Richard; "The groove abides", Thebluemoment.com, 19 December 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  3. 1 2 "Les Lundis d'Hortense - Le site - Tony O'Malley". Jazzinbelgium.com. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  4. "Kokomo", Soulwalking.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  5. Mann, Ian; "Tony O'Malley Trio...", TheJazzMann. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  6. "10cc Study Guide & Homework Help". eNotes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
  7. "Tony O’Malley Band", Gazette Live , 14 May 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  8. "Tony O'Malley Trio", Black Mountain Jazz. Retrieved 27 January 2014
  9. Brey, Marco; "Tonight: The Georgian national final - don't miss it!", European Broadcasting Union, 18 February 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2014