The Tumbleweeds
Hi Ian you have me stumped on a couple of the lads but left to right they are
 JJ Lombard from Mallow (Bass)Tony Kirby Clonakilty (Fiddle)
The lad in the middle I'm not sure neither the the guy next to him.
I'm sure one played trumpet and one sax. next to them on right is Shay Spain Nenagh (Drums)
 Me Johnny in the Middle then left is Johnny Rush from Thurles (Keyboards)
and John O'Brian Dublin Guitar  John O'Brian incidently is a member of Bagatelle
and still picking great guitar
John Regan

John Regan
cyrusfilms@eircom.net

Johnny Regan and The Tumbleweeds was a top English modern country band in the sixties based in London.
We worked on American bases  throughout Europe.
Some of the great country Artists we worked with in those days were. Tammy Wynett,
Melba Montgomery, Hank Snow, Hank Locklin,Slim Whitman, Charlie Pride
and my great old mate Willie Nelson. Plus many more.
Some of my Tumbleweed band members over that period included. Roger Dean (ex John Mayall)
Albert Lee (ex Hogan’s heroes, Emmy Lou Harris, and an Emmy winner in his own right)
Jerry West (a regular with Slim Whitman on Steel guitar) Johnny Boniface on Drums and
(recently with Georgie Fame) Dave Peacock on bass.
(Dave is the other half of Chas and Dave a super star act in London.
A appearance on the “Life of Riley” TV show in 1969. was watched by
Dance hall entrepreneur Con Hines from Portumna.Co Galway
He approached me  and asked if I would come to Ireland,and form a Show Band
The money and conditions of the contract were great so over I came
I collected a great bunch of musicians JJ Lombard,(Bass) Shay Spain (Drums and driver extraordinaire)
Tony Kirby (Fiddle and vocals) Johnny Rush (Keyboards) Senan Drury (Keyboards)
John O’Brian (Guitar)Myself on Rhythm guitar, We also had a Steel player who’s name
I can’t recollect but often supplemented by that top picker Basil Henriques
At the time I was already signed to the Decca record label and had made an album titled
“The Tumbleweeds live at the Hitching post” ( Leixlip)
However I signed up with Con’s own label “Quality records” and made a number of singles. “
If the world turned into Ashes” “Stand beside me” “Four strong winds” etc
Life in Portumna was a wonderful experience I always knew I would end my days living in Ireland.
However my  fiancée  had other plans and at the death knell of the show band scene
we married and took off for Australia. We  enjoyed Australia for thirty years, raised two fine boys.
I developed a career as a Musician, Actor, and Video Film Maker. Oh how the years fly.
So now, here I am back these last three years, living in Barna Galway. I have been working in a
three piece pub band called “Top Form” Ronnie Mangan ex Indians on drums and Noel Keane
(Sean’s brother on Bass) I had to leave Top form after a heart operation
However now I’m fully recovered, and as fit as a Mally Bull (Aussie _expression)
and am the producer/Director of my own Video production Company “Cyrus Films International”
I still love to sing and play guitar and tenor sax. I am on the lookout for another band to join...
If you have any contacts with any of the musicians I have mentioned here I would love
to catch up with them again and chat over old times. |Perhaps somebody out there knows some of them.
John Regan

Tumbleweeds Photo from
 John Bairds collection
   bairdart@iol.ie

-->