Tony & The Telstars (Dublin)

Related: Tigers, Method, Éire Apparent, Wheels

Included are David 'Tiger' Taylor, Davy Lutton, Chris Stewart and Rod Demick

Paul Blake (rhythm guitar/left) was replaced by Ernie Graham, Davie Lutton (drums), Tony G. Ford (vocals), Rod Demick (lead guitar), Chris Stewart (bass) from Finaghy (South Belfast). Tiger Taylor is not featured in this photo. Paul, Chris, Dave and Vaughan Byrne  (thats me!) went to Secondary School in what was then then Lisburn Tech together. I came from the other side of the tracks (Dublin to Belfast line). I played bass with Frankie & and The Echoes. Tiger Taylor played with Steve Allen & The Avengers in the very early days. All these guys went on to contribute to the music business. Rod has played bass with some of the biggest names,  David Essex and a string of stars. Chrissy with Eire Apparent and the Frankie Millar Band, Davie with T-Rex (yes the very same) now lives in Nashville, Tennessee according to his cousin (The Duck). We really should have a Veterans' Society for Old Boys. My family (Willie Byrne is my baby brother not too shabby a picker), Karen and Stephanie byrne both backing singers with Sam Mahood & The Soul Foundation are my baby sisters. Bet if my old buddies could work one of these things we would have many more stories. As you can see, I've cracked it!

Best regards to all, Vaughan Byrne

"My brother and I saw Tony and the Telstars on stage at one of The Tonic Teenage Shows on a Saturday morning at the cinema in Bangor, County Down in the early 1960s. I remember their coloured jackets and slick routines, including a kind of Shadows Madison step that ‘groups’ did at the time."

Basil Abbott

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