Peter Flannery became Lee Curtis by reversing the name of the American singer Curtis Lee. He was managed by his brother Joe, and there was a clever but cruel Liverpool saying “Flannery will get you nowhere”, because his acts were not as successful as Brian Epstein
Lee Curtis & The All Stars were best known for Let’s Stomp which featured Pete Best on drums. Much better was their full-blooded version of Skinny Minnie, recorded live at The Cavern.
It knocked spots off Bill Haley‘s original, but the band continued to have problems seeing eye-to-eye with Decca.
The band wanted to record Twist And Shout but Decca said no. A few weeks later it was a Decca hit for Brian Poole and The Tremeloes.
The All Stars then asked to record Money. The label again said no and it was a Decca hit shortly thereafter for Bern Elliott and The Fenmen.
The band asked if they could record Shout. Decca refused once more and it was a hit (for Decca) for Lulu and The Luvvers. The cycle repeated itself when the band asked to record It’s Only Make Believe, were turned down, and witnessed Billy Fury have a hit with the song (again for Decca).
It seems nothing went right in Lee’s career. The All Stars had a nomadic line-up and Curtis was in essence a solo singer who was out of time in the early 60s – too late for Elvis and too early for Tom Jones.
In 1969 Lee had a car accident that left him with facial scars. He became reluctant to perform, although he did continue to do occasional club work on Merseyside and in Skelmersdale. But commercial success and financial reward eluded him for the duration.
Lee Curtis
Vocals
Frank Bowen
Guitar
Tony Waddington
Guitar
Wayne Bickerton
Bass
Pete Best
Drums
Tommy McGurk
Guitar
