Derry and the Seniors
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1960 |
| Headquarters | Liverpool , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, live performances |
Derry and the Seniors were a British rock and roll ensemble active during the early 1960s. They hold the distinction of being the first Liverpool-based band to perform within the German club circuit, setting a precedent that would later benefit The Beatles and other groups. Under the name Howie Casey and the Seniors, they became pioneers as the initial Liverpool band to produce an LP, featuring vocalist Freddie Fowell, who later gained fame as Freddie Starr.
Career
Derry Wilkie (10 January 1941 – 22 December 2001) was a black British vocalist originating from Liverpool. His musical journey began in 1959 with the local rock and roll outfit the Hy-Tones, which disbanded by the end of that year. The Seniors were formed by three former Hy-Tones members—Howie Casey (saxophone), Billy Hughes (rhythm guitar), Stan Foster (piano)—alongside Brian Griffiths (lead guitar), Phil Whitehead (bass), and Jeff Wallington (drums). Wilkie joined as the lead singer, and the group performed under the name Derry and the Seniors.
They toured across Merseyside, and in May 1960, after sharing a bill with Gene Vincent, they auditioned to become backing musicians for Liverpool star Billy Fury. Although this attempt was unsuccessful, The Beatles’ manager Alan Williams invited them to perform at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London. It was there that German club proprietor Bruno Koschmider discovered them and subsequently booked them for Hamburg’s Kaiserkeller venue. The Seniors played in Hamburg during the summer of 1960, eventually joined by The Beatles. Due to lacking valid work permits, they were sent back to the UK in October 1960. They resumed local performances, but by year’s end, Wallington and Hughes had departed.
In early 1961, adopting the name Howie Casey and the Seniors, with Frank Wibberley on drums and Wilkie sharing vocal duties with Freddie Fowell, they secured a contract with Fontana Records. This made them the first Liverpool beat group to record an LP; Twist At The Top was released in February 1962 alongside the single "Double Twist". Two additional singles followed that year—"I Ain't Mad At You" and "The Boll Weevil Song"—though none achieved chart success. Phil Whitehead left to pursue a civil engineering career abroad, eventually founding a successful engineering company in San Francisco. He was replaced by various bass players including Lu Walters; Wibberley was succeeded on drums by Kenny Hardin. The band dissolved by mid-1962.
Later activities
Following the breakup, Wilkie joined Wallasey’s group, the Pressmen, which included Richie Prescott (lead guitar), Bob Pears (bass), Phil Kenzie (saxophone), Dave Roberts (saxophone), and Tommy Bennett (drums, later replaced by Aynsley Dunbar). Derry Wilkie and the Pressmen contributed one track to Oriole's This Is Merseybeat compilation in 1963. After disbanding in early 1964, Wilkie formed "Derry Wilkie and the Others" with Kenzie, Bennett, Ernie Hayes (guitar), and Bob Montgomery (bass). They toured across the UK and performed in German clubs before supporting The Alan Price Set at London’s Marquee Club in November 1965 under the name Derry Wilkie and the Pressmen. Subsequently, they performed as the Savages alongside Screaming Lord Sutch before splitting up in 1966. Wilkie exited the music scene shortly thereafter and lived in Italy and London until his passing in 2001.
Howie Casey became a member of Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, primarily performing throughout Germany. After that band ended, he toured Europe with German group The Krew before returning to Britain in 1970. Casey then established himself as a session musician for artists including Marc Bolan, recorded Band on the Run with Paul McCartney and Wings, and toured internationally with McCartney throughout the late 1970s.
Freddie Fowell—later known as Freddie Starr—fronted several Liverpool beat bands such as Freddie Starr and the Midnighters. He gained broader attention through television talent show Opportunity Knocks before rising to prominence as a leading UK comedian during the 1970s and 1980s.
In 2010, Bear Family Records issued an expanded CD edition of Howie Casey and the Seniors' album Twist At The Top.