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| 1958 Sandy Records Promo Photograph |
Meridian's own, Darryl Vincent & The Flares
The Flares are Meridian's first important & successful rock & roll band and
Mississippi Music Artists.com recognizes and remembers
this group for their contribution to Mississippi '60's music. Most of us rockers from the '60s remember these guys but many of the younger crowd have never heard of them. The Flares were Meridian's first important rock and roll group to record music,...... their music.
Mississippi Music Artists.com recognizes and remembers
this group for their contribution to Mississippi '60's music. Most of us rockers from the '60s remember these guys but many of the younger crowd have never heard of them. The Flares were Meridian's first important rock and roll group to record music,...... their music.
Band Members
Sonny Roth, Bass
Zack Martin, Drums
Jim Pasquale, Lead Guitar
Darryl Vincent, Piano & Lead Vocals
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| Darryl Vincent |
Darryl Vincent (1942 - 1975) The Original Flares started out in the late '50s. The band recorded a series of 45 singles for Sandy Records in Mobile, AL., Crash Records in New Orleans, La., Chess Records in Chicago, Ill. and one single and one 10 song album on Astro Records in Mobile, Al.
These singles have been released on eight compilation (multi-artists) CD's world wide through the '90s (Darryl Vincent Music Link). on the early records were Darryl, Jimmy Pasquale, Sonny Roth, Denny Powers and Zack Martin, all from Meridian, MS. George Cummings (later Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show) was hired when J Pasquale had to go to camp to take his place in '58. After Jimmy returned, the band got a job in Gulf Shores at the Canal Lounge, 5 nights a week. Zack couldn't leave Meridian, so the band recruited Austin Phillips to drum. The Flares got another gig in Mobile at the big Melody Club next to Brookley Field Air force base. The Club seated hundreds of people and Darryl & The Flares from Meridian packed it out. Two black guys were hired to play with the band, Eddie Connors on vocals who had a regional hit at the time with" World of Make Believe", and Prince Connelly on blues guitar and vocals. One of the first integrated band in the South in '58.
Austin had to go back to high school so the band drafted Knobby Lowell to replace him on drums. They loaded up Darryl's Volkswagen bus and drove to Chicago, our first big trip to a large city. the band landed an audition at Chess Records and followed with two singles with Etta James, Larry Williams and Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows (Etta's husband at the time) singing background vocals.(see below) One song was "Shed No Tears". Darryl Vincent was already signed to Sandy Records in Mobile which caused some complications with the Chess recorded singles and the Chess recordings were not released. While in Chicago doing the Chess Records recordings the band rented a big room with 5 beds across the street from the record company. One day when the old black maid came in to clean, she told the band that the room they were staying in was Al Capone's main hotel suite. The next day the band went to record and left the VW bus outside the door of the studio in broad daylight. After hours of recording in the studio the band returned to find someone had broken into the bus and stolen everything they had brought to Chicago clothes, shoes, luggage, etc. and Jimmy's shotgun which they had brought along. Totally wiped out! Luckily the band had left their instruments and amps inside and they survived. the band told Leonard Chess ( the owner of the record company) and he wrote a check for $150. The band later learned that a ring of Chicago policemen had been busted for breaking into cars. Darryl passed in 1975 and is buried in Meridian. He was 33 years old.
When asked to name some of the Mississippi artists contemporary with The Flares Jimmy Pasquale answered. "Jimmy Elledge (solo) RCA "Funny How Time Slips Aawy" George Cummings (who later helped formed and named the group 'Dr Hook" , Jimmy And David Ruffin (The Temptations), Paul Davis (solo) Jimmie Rogers (The Singin' Brakeman) Moe Bandy (solo) and thirty mile away my dear friend Marty Stuart, Philadelphia, Ms and Faith Hill, also from Philadelphia, Steve Forbert(solo),Meridian, Jimmy and The Jokers. I've always said in interviews, when ask, why so much talent from Meridian, my standard answer was ,something in the watermelon, I think." My special thanks to Jimmy Pasquale for sharing the history of Darryl Vincent & The Flares, for his contributions to the Mississippi Artists.Com website and for his work in preserving the music heritage of Mississippi.
The Flares hit songs played in heavy rotation in the South and were major hits at No. 1 in many cities like New Orleans, Meridian, Jackson, Pensacola, Birmingham and Atlanta. Quite an accomplishment for musicians at such an early age. And they are not alone in the musical talents that were born in Meridian, MS.
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| The Flares Reunion 2002 Gulf Shores, AL. |
Recent news for The Flares includes an article published in the 2004 edition of Blues News Magazine, The band's reunion at Gulf Shores in 2002 for a performance and a new album "Can You Still Rock" recorded in 2007. And more recently the release of two Flares recordings on Cathouse Records "Belly Full Of Blues" album.
Jimmy Pasqulae & The Original Flares Video
Darryl Vincent "Wild, Wild Party" Recording (Listen)
Jim Pasquale Music on Reverb Nation Link
Autographed copy of The Flares '45
Daddy's Goin Batty.
Flares News ...Catbone Records has just released a new album titled "Belly Full Of Blues". The album has 2 of the Flares recordings previously released on the "Can You Still Rock" album.
Belly Full OF Blues Link
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| Jim Pasquale Lead Guitar The Flares 1958 Studio Picture |
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| Can You Still Rock recording Photo The Flares 2007/08 |
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| Jimmy Pasquale, George Cummings & Chris Ethridge 2002 Meridian, MS |
Discography
DARRYL VINCENT
SINGLES |
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| Mercy Me - The Flares first record Sandy Records Label Mobile, Al. |
