Mike Berry

Mike Berry -- not to be confused with his contemporary Dave Berry -- was a pop/rock singer who gained his initial fame as part of the stable of artists produced by the legendary Joe Meek. His best known record, "Tribute to Buddy Holly" is one of the most fondly remembered singles of the pre-Beatles era in England, as well as a touching memorial to its subject, with a bravura performance by Berry. Born Michael Bourne in Northampton, England, in 1942, he was raised in London and originally started singing as a member of his church choir during the early '50s. When the skiffle boom came along in the middle of the decade, he took up playing the washboard and joined a local group christened "the Rebels". He eventually moved on to doing straight American-style rock & roll and, at the start of the '60s, was singing in a dance band called Kenny Lord & the Statesmen -- their repertory included the music of Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, among others, whose "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "Be-Bop-A-Lula," respectively, were on a four-song demo cut by the group. That record found its way into the hands of Joe Meek, who was struck by how closely the singer matched the tone and nuances of Holly's singing. He made contact with the group, and tried to keep singer and band together, but the other members soon fell by the wayside. In their stead, Meek recruited a London-based band called the Stormers, whose ranks included Chas Hodges on bass, Bobby Graham on the drums, and Billy Kuy and Reg Hawkins on lead and rhythm guitar, respectively -- Michael Bourne/Kenny Lord became Mike Berry and the Stormers were given the name the Outlaws, and they set about performing and recording as Mike Berry & the Outlaws, cutting a version of a song that Meek chose, called "Set Me Free." The song was duly...