The Fireballs
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1957 in Raton, New Mexico, United States |
| Defunct | 2022 |
| Headquarters | Raton , United States |
| Products | Rock and roll music |
The Fireballs, occasionally credited as Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, were a prominent American rock and roll band active primarily in the late 1950s through the early 1960s. The original ensemble featured George Tomsco on lead guitar, Chuck Tharp as vocalist, Stan Lark handling bass duties, Eric Budd on drums, and Dan Trammell playing rhythm guitar. In addition to their own projects, they contributed as session musicians for a variety of performers from 1959 until 1970 at Norman Petty Recording Studios, collaborating with artists such as folk singer Carolyn Hester and Arthur Alexander.
1957—1969
Established in Raton, New Mexico in 1957, The Fireballs started out as an instrumental outfit with George Tomsco’s signature lead guitar sound. Their recordings took place at Norman Petty’s studio located in Clovis, New Mexico. The band's name was inspired by an enthusiastic audience reaction to their rendition of Jerry Lee Lewis's "Great Balls of Fire" during a local talent competition, a moment that left a lasting impression on founders Tomsco and Lark. They secured spots within the top 40 charts with tracks like "Torquay" (1959), "Bulldog" (1960), and "Quite a Party" (1961), the last of which climbed to No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
During the early 1960s, lineup adjustments occurred: Tharp, Budd, and Trammell exited the group, while Doug Roberts assumed drumming responsibilities and Jimmy Gilmer—originally from Chicago (born 1940) but raised in Amarillo, Texas)—joined as lead vocalist from Petty’s studio roster. Under the moniker Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs, they achieved a No. 1 position on the Billboard chart with "Sugar Shack," which dominated the top spot for five consecutive weeks in 1963. This track also briefly led Billboard’s R&B chart prior to its temporary suspension. "Sugar Shack" was awarded Gold Record status as the best-selling single of that year. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at No. 45. Their subsequent hit, "Daisy Petal Pickin'," reached No. 15 on the Hot 100 in 1964.
The advent of the British Invasion spearheaded by groups like The Beatles hindered their ability to maintain chart success, postponing another Top 40 appearance until 1967 with "Bottle of Wine," penned by Tom Paxton. This song reached No. 9 on the Hot 100; although Gilmer remained involved with the band, this release was credited solely to "The Fireballs." Eventually, Gilmer transitioned into artist management within Petty’s organization, leading to the group’s dissolution in 1969.
1989—2022
In 1989, The Fireballs reunited for a performance at the Clovis Music Festival and continued touring with original members George Tomsco, Stan Lark, and Chuck Tharp until Tharp passed away in 2006. Jimmy Gilmer rejoined as lead singer in 2007 while Lark retired from performing in 2016. George Tomsco issued new recordings under The Fireballs name and occasionally appeared both as a solo act branded “The Fireball” and alongside Gilmer. Their final live appearance took place at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 5, 2022.
Usage of Buddy Holly backing tapes
Following Buddy Holly’s passing, his primary producer Norman Petty obtained ownership of Holly’s early rehearsal and demo recordings. From May 1962 through August 1968, Petty enlisted The Fireballs to overdub these existing tapes, thereby generating fresh material featuring the band members who had never originally recorded alongside Holly professionally. These enhanced tracks were compiled into four albums released during the 1960s, some singles from which achieved chart success. In 1964, an album titled Buddy's Buddy was issued under Jimmy Gilmer’s name; it comprised twelve Holly cover songs inspired by these posthumous collaborations.
Deaths
Drummer Doug Roberts, born on June 15, 1941, passed away on November 18, 1981, at the age of 40.
Chuck Tharp, who was born February 3, 1941, succumbed to cancer on March 17, 2006, aged 65.
Stan Lark, born July 27, 1940, died on August 4, 2021, when he was 81 years old.
Eric Budd, whose birthdate was October 23, 1938, passed on October 7, 2022, at the age of 83.
Jimmy Gilmer died in Amarillo on September 7, 2024, aged 83, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Singles
Note: Except where specified otherwise, B-sides are included on the same album as their corresponding A-sides.
'Daisy Petal Pickin+ '15' '-' '-' '11' '-' '5' 'Dot Records' 'When My Tears Have Dried' (Non-LP track) 'Firewater' '1964' 'Ain't Gonna Tell Anybody'+ '53' '-' '-' '40' '-' '65' 'Dot Records' 'Young Am I' 'Non-LP tracks' 'Daytona Drag' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' 'Dot Records' 'Gently, Gently' 'Campusology' 'Look at Me'++ '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '90' 'Dot Records' "I'll Send For You" (Non-LP track) Buddy's Buddy 'Wishing'++ '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' "Dot Records" "What Kinda Love" (Non-LP track) 'Dumbo'* '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' "Dot Records" "Mr. Reed" (from Campusology) 'Torquay' 'Crying Baby (re-recording)+' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' 'Dot Records' 'Thunder and Lightning' 'Non-LP tracks' '1965' 'She Belongs to Me'+ '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' 'Dot Records' 'Rambler's Blues' 'Folkbeat' '1966' 'Ja-Da' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' '-' 'Dot Records' 'What I Am' 'Non-LP tracks' '1967' 'Bottle of Wine' '9' '-' '-' '5' '-' '3' Atco Records "Can't You See I'm Tryin'" (Non-LP track) Bottle of Wine '1968', 'Goin' Away', '79', '33', '-', '11', '-', '31', Atco Records, "Groovy Motions" 'Chicken Little', '-', '-', '-', '-', '-', '-', Atco Records, "3 Minutes' Time" 'Come On, React!', '63', '-', '-', '16', '-', '70', Atco Records, "Woman, Help Me!", Come On, React! '1969', 'Long Green', '73', '-', '-', '42', '-', '-', Atco Records, "Light in the Window" (from Come On, React!), Non-LP tracks 'Watch Her Walk', '-', '-', '-', '-', '-', '-', Atco Records, "Good Morning Shame"| Year | Title | Highest Chart Positions | Record Label | B-side | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US R&B | CAN (CHUM)(RPM) | UK | AU | |||||
| 1958 | "I Don't Know" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Kapp Records | "Fireball" | Non-LP tracks |
| 1959 | "Long Long Ponytail" | – | – | – | – | – | – | Jaro Records | "Let There Be Love" | The Fireballs |
| "Torquay" | 39 | – | – | 12 | – | – | Top Rank Records | "Cry Baby" | ||
| "Bulldog" | 24 | – | – | 23 | – | – | "Nearly Sunrise" | |||
| 1960 | "Foot-Patter" | – | – | – | – | – | – | "Kissin'" | ||
| "Vaquero (Cowboy)" | 99 | – | – | – | – | – | "Chief Whoopin-Koff" (from Torquay) | Vaquero | ||
| "Almost Paradise" | – | – | – | – | – | – | "Sweet Talk" | Non-LP tracks | ||
| 1961 | "Rik-A-Tik" | |||||||||
| 'Quite a Party'* | '27' | '–' | '–' | '24' | '29' | '–' | 'Gunshot' (Non-LP track) | 'Torquay' | ||
| '1963' | 'Blacksmith Blues' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | 'Hamilton Records' | 'Tuff-A-Nuff' (from 'Torquay') | 'Non-LP track' |
| 'Sugar Shack'+ | '1' | '–' | '1' | '1' | '45' | '1' | 'Dot Records' | 'My Heart is Free' (Non-LP track) | 'Sugar Shack' | |
| 'Torquay Two' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' |
'Peg Leg' (from 'Campusology') 'Torquay' | |||
+ = Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs ++ = Jimmy Gilmer
- = A-sides re-recorded for album inclusion
Albums
| Year | Album | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | The Fireballs | Top Rank Records |
| Vaquero | ||
| 1961 | Here Are the Fireballs | Warrick Records |
| 1963 | Sugar Shack+ | Dot Records |
| Torquay | ||
| 1964 | Buddy's Buddy++ | |
| 1965 | Lucky 'Leven++ | |
| Folkbeat++ | ||
| 1966 | Campusology | |
| 1968 | Firewater!+ | |
| Bottle of Wine | Atco Records | |
| 1969 | Come On, React! |
+ = Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs
++ = Jimmy Gilmer
External links
- [ The Fireballs] at Allmusic.com
- [ Jimmy Gilmer] at Allmusic.com
- Jimmy Gilmer Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2017)
- Articles with short description
- American rock and roll music groups
- Dot Records artists
- Top Rank Records artists
- Atco Records artists
- Rock music groups from New Mexico
- People from Raton, New Mexico
- Musical groups established in 1957
- Musical groups disestablished in 2022
- 1957 establishments in New Mexico
- 2022 disestablishments in New Mexico