The Walker Brothers

Scott Walker - bass guitar/vocals (born Scott Noel Engel, 9th January 1944, Hamilton, Ohio)

John Walker - guitar/vocals (born John Maus, 12th November 1943, New York)

Gary Walker - drums (born Gary Leeds, 3rd September 1944, Glendale, California)

Although the Walker Brothers were Americans, the group was based in England and was a prominent if untypical part of the British pop scene in the 60's.

Gary Leeds first visited Britain as drummer in a group backing American singer Jet Powers, who was in fact P.J. Proby, he had played in several bands in the States, his greatest moment being when he drummed on one gig for Elvis Presley. After touring the UK with Proby he returned to the States and found Maus and Engel, both of whom had been students with him, playing in a club in Hollywood, and the three teamed up. At Leeds' suggestion, they decided that England was the place for beat groups and so moved to London.

Their first single moved along at a fair pace, but didn't sell particularly well. The next record was a very slow song sung in an emotional style and made the top twenty. They followed that one with a similar heart-rending ballad written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. When that song ("Make It Easy On Yourself") got to the top of the charts, the Walker Brothers' style was fixed. Their moody image matched the music perfectly.

On stage they were usually backed by a group called Johnny B. Great & The Quotations.

After a while they each began to release solo records and the Walkers as a group disintegrated.