Tony Rivers

Douglas Anthony Thompson (21 December 1940 – 30 March 2026), known professionally as Tony Rivers, was an English singer-songwriter, best known for singing with the groups Tony Rivers and the Castaways and Harmony Grass. Rivers sang on albums by Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Roger Daltrey, Shakin' Stevens and Cliff Richard, and on the theme song for the BBC TV series Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?.

Early life Douglas Anthony Thompson was born in Shildon, County Durham on 21 December 1940. As a child, his family moved to East Ham. Rivers went to Raine's Foundation Grammar School for Boys in Arbour Square, Stepney. He took guitar lessons as a teenager, after hearing "That'll Be the Day" by Buddy Holly. They recorded six singles for EMI and Columbia Records between 1963 and 1966, but the only hit the band had was with their cover of the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows", which made number 46 in the Melody Maker charts in August 1966; Columbia had been under the impression that the original would not be released as a single. According to Rivers, he had befriended the Beach Boys when they visited the UK in 1964, and was inspired to cover "God Only Knows" after the band played him their Pet Sounds album. Rivers left to go solo in July/August 1970, and was replaced by Joe Williams, however by the end of the year Harmony Grass had disbanded.

Session work He started to do session work and performed many cover versions on the Top of the Pops records. He recalled performing the vocals of Alvin Stardust, Donny Osmond, Johnny Rotten, and at one point having to replicate the vocal harmonies of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen.

He was the voice of West Ham United F.C. for their hit version of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and the voice leading the Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? theme song.

Rivers sang backing vocals for Elton John when John performed at Live Aid in 1985.

Personal life and death Rivers married his wife, Pat, in 1966, who died in 2019.