Born in 1941 and raised in Barking, Essex, Brian Poole was a student at Park Modern School in 1958 when he and some friends formed the earliest version of the band called the Tremeloes. They all idolized Buddy Holly, and Poole (who also played guitar in those days) wore glasses that gave him a resemblance to the bespectacled Texas rock & roller, and so was chosen as their frontman. When the group was signed to Decca in early 1962, the record label insisted that they be billed as Brian Poole & the Tremeloes, and it was under that name, after a slow start, that they enjoyed a string of U.K. hits starting in 1963, including "Twist and Shout," "Do You Love Me," "I Want Candy," etc. By 1965, however, Poole had decided to embark on a solo career, and it was assumed in the music press that he would thrive while the Tremeloes disappeared. He was going to be a rival to such up-and-coming figures as Tom Jones. Instead, it was the Tremeloes who had three solid years of international hits, while Poole's career had fizzled by 1967, and he retired from music, instead managing the family's butcher shop, though he did also start his own label, Outlook Records. In more recent years, he has been active on the British and European oldies circuits, working with such '60s figures as Reg Presley of the Troggs, Mike Pender of the Searchers, and Gerry Marsden of Gerry & the Pacemakers. ~ Bruce Eder