Howie Casey

Howard William Casey (born 12 July 1937) is a British rhythm and blues and rock saxophonist. He came to prominence in the early 1960s as a member of Derry and the Seniors, the first rock and roll band from Liverpool to play clubs in Germany, and later as leader of the renamed Howie Casey and the Seniors, the first Liverpool group to record an LP. He was a sought after session musician, particularly in horn sections in the 1970s, recording and/or touring with groups including Paul McCartney and Wings, T. Rex, the Who, ABC and the Roy Young Band.

Early life He was born in Huyton, Liverpool to Thomas and Stella (Sarah) Casey, and started playing saxophone in his teens. After a period working in engineering, he was called up for national service in 1955, played in a military band, and, after hearing early rock and roll records by Little Richard, Fats Domino and others, formed a rock group before leaving the Army in 1958. Back in Liverpool, he first joined the Rhythm Rockers, a group led by drummer Frank Wibberley, and then another group, the Hy-Tones.

The Seniors He formed his own band, the Seniors, at the end of 1959. Other original members of the group were Billy Hughes (rhythm guitar), Stan Foster (piano) – both of whom had been in the Hy-Tones – together with Brian Griffiths (lead guitar), Phil Whitehead (bass) and Jeff Wallington (drums). They soon added lead singer Derry Wilkie, a black British singer who had previously sung with the Hy-Tones. As Derry and the Seniors, the group performed in local venues, and in May 1960, after appearing in a show headed by Gene Vincent, were invited to audition for the role of backing band for Liverpool star Billy Fury. Although they did not win the audition, they were invited by Fury's manager Larry Parnes to go to London to perform at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho. An expanded CD version of the album Twist at the Top was released by Bear Family Records in 2010.

In Europe In 1963, Casey travelled to Germany and joined Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, who were based in Hamburg. The group recorded there for the Philips label, and also for Polydor. The Polydor album, Let's Do the Slop, Twist, Madison, Hully Gully..., was released under the pseudonym of "The Shakers", and three singles from it – "Money", "Whole Lotta Lovin'", and "Hippy Hippy Shake" – were released in the UK. Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, with Casey, also acted as backing group for Alex Harvey, before returning to the UK to back Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins on tour in 1964. Soon afterwards, the group split up, with Taylor returning to Germany and the other band members staying in the UK.

However, Casey soon returned to Germany with another band, the Pawns, and then joined The Krew, who performed in France, Italy and Switzerland. Casey also played with his own band in Europe, before returning to live in London in 1970. He also played with Wings on the 66-show Wings Over the World tour in 1975–1976, subsequently appearing on the live album, and TV/film releases from that tour: Wings Over America, Wings Over the World, and Rockshow. He also played on the studio albums Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976) and Back to the Egg (1979), and as part of the "Rockestra" at the Concerts for the People of Kampuchea (1979). He was scheduled to take part in McCartney's next world tour, but it was abandoned after McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana in Japan at the start of 1980. He played on the film soundtrack of Tommy (1975), and toured with The Who in 1979.

Later life Casey's third wife Sheila sang with her sister Jeanette as the McKinleys, who made several records and toured in the early 1960s, and provided backing vocals for the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Hollies and others. The couple moved to Bournemouth to live in 1979.

In the early 1980s Howie and Sheila Casey formed the Slobs, a rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll band comprising locally based session musicians. With a varying line-up, the Slobs continue to perform in southern England and to tour more widely.

In 2007 Casey appeared in Marc Bolan: The Celebration Concert, along with Tony Visconti, Gloria Jones, Marc Almond and others, on the occasion of Bolan's 60th birthday anniversary. The concert was issued on DVD in 2012.

Sheila Casey died from cancer in December 2012.

In 2014, Howie performed in New Zealand with a Wings and Beatles tribute show, featuring local singer and songwriter Tim Armstrong, and also recorded several songs with Armstrong.

On returning to the UK Casey put together Beatles With Wings, a band of 10 to 13 musicians with a full horn section celebrating the music of Paul McCartney, the Beatles, and Wings.

Selective discography Singles Year Title Artist Chart Casey's role 1962 Twist at the Top Howie Casey and the Seniors - Band leader, co-writer, saxophone 1966 Everything's Alright The Krew - Saxophone 1968 Cry Like a Baby Barry St. John - Arranger, saxophone 1973 20th Century Boy T. Rex UK#3 Saxophone 1974 The Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll Mott the Hoople UK#16 Saxophone 1974 Mrs. Vandebilt Paul McCartney and Wings NLD#7 Saxophone solo 1974 Jet Paul McCartney and Wings US#7, UK#7 Saxophone feature 1976 Silly Love Songs Wings US#1, UK#2 Saxophone 1976 Let 'Em In Wings US#3, UK#2 Saxophone 1979 Arrow Through Me Wings US#29 Saxophone 1983 S.O.S. ABC UK#39 Saxophone solo 1987 When Smokey Sings ABC US#5, UK#11 Saxophone

Albums Year Title Artist Chart Casey's role 1962 Twist at the Top Howie Casey and the Seniors - Band leader, co-writer, saxophone 1963 Let's Do The Madison, Twist, Locomotion, Slop, Hully Gully, Monkey The Shakers (aka Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes) - Saxophone 1963 Live at the Star Club Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes - Saxophone 1976 Wings at the Speed of Sound Wings US#1, UK#2 Saxophone 1976 Wings Over America Wings US#1, UK#8 Saxophone, sax solo on "Lady Madonna" 1979 Back to the Egg Wings US#8, UK#6 Saxophone 1980 Japanese Tears Denny Laine - Saxophone 1981 Concerts for the People of Kampuchea Various artists US#36 Saxophone with the Who, Wings, Rockestra 1981 Bucks Fizz Bucks Fizz UK#14 Saxophone 1983 Beauty Stab ABC UK#12 Saxophones 1987 Alphabet City ABC UK#7 Saxophone