By Senyf yar
I recall reading somewhere that Rory Gallagher also played in
a Fontana Showband, but the band I am referring to started off
in Dunloy, Co. Antrim in the early sixties as the Teenbeats.
The Teenbeats were formed by Rory Reilly and his brother
Charlie from Dunloy. Rory played tenor sax, and Charlie played
trumpet. The remaining line-up consisted of Harry Lynn on
trombone, Des Nicholl on rhythm guitar, Johnny McRory on drums,
and Benny Hemas on vocals. I was brought into the band to play
lead guitar. Benny got married shortly after that, left the band
and moved to England.
Fate had a hand in the affairs of the Teenbeats when Gerry
McLean and his brother Kevin quit the Walter Lewis Showband
(also based in Dunloy) in 1962. Walter recruited the Teenbeat's
Johnny McRory as his new drummer. Gerry and Kevin joined up with
the Teenbeats and changed the band's name to the Fontana
Showband. Kevin replaced Johnny behind the drum kit. Gerry was a
superb singer, and replaced Charlie Reilly as the band's trumpet
player. Gerry also took over as band-leader. Joe Rankin from
Clady was recruited to the Fontana to play bass and add to the
vocal talent.
Des quit the band in 1962 and was replaced by George Dillon,
from Ballymena. I left in 1962 to move to Belfast, and was
replaced by Ivan Owens from Ballymoney on lead guitar. The band
made a record around that time ("Wedding Bells" and "Story of 20
Cigarettes"). Soon after, the band was re-named as the Green
Angels and had another release "Let it Happen".
When the Green Angels finally broke up, Harry Lynn formed a
new Ballymena-based showband -- the Red Admirals. Joe Rankin
went on to play in the Ballymena-based Cossacks Showband, before
creating the singing group Par Three with another ex-Cossack,
Jimmy Lynn. George Dillon joined Harry Lynn's Red Admirals soon
after leaving the Green Angels. Later, several members of the
Red Admirals including Dillon and Lynn started a new band - the
Countrymen Showband. Dillon eventually went solo (1985) and
still plays locally. Ivan Owens moved to England where he now
plays jazz guitar.
Gerry McLean's children continued in their father's musical
foot-steps and brought new life to the old band name by calling
themselves the Young Fontana. Kevin and Gerry have since passed
on.
