Formed in Raton, New Mexico in 1957, The Fireballs was a predominantly instrumental rock and roll combo before joining forces with vocalist Jimmy Gilmer and scoring a number 1 hit in 1963 with the single “Sugar Shack.” Founded by the distinctive sound of lead guitarist George Tomsco and bassist Stan Lark, the group also featured drummer Eric Budd, and rhythm guitarists Chuck Tharp and Dan Trammel. Setting up shop and recording in Clovis, New Mexico at producer Norman Petty’s studio, the group’s debut single, “Fireball,” was released in 1958. The Fireballs hit the Top 40 in 1959 with the single “Torquay,” which was followed by another hit, “Quite a Party.” While recording their own songs, producer Norman Petty – formerly Buddy Holly’s producer – took many of Buddy’s home demos alternate takes and had The Fireballs add overdubs to them, which led to the release of many posthumous Buddy Holly recordings in the early to mid-1960s. By 1963, Tharp, Budd, and Trammel had left the group and were replaced by drummer Doug Roberts and vocalist / guitarist Jimmy Gilmer. Signing with Dot Records, they released the single “Sugar Shack,” which was credited to Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs. The single was their biggest hit yet, reaching number 1 in the US, Canada, and Australia. They scored a number 15 hit with “Daisy Petal Pickin’” under the Jimmy Gilmer and The Fireballs name but also continued to issue singles under the band’s original name. However, thanks to the dominance of the British Invasion on the US charts in the mid-‘60s, they didn’t bother the charts again until “Bottle of Wine” reached the Top 10 in 1967. After several more charting hits – “Goin’ Away” (1968), “Come on, React!” (1968), and “Long Green” (1969) – The Fireballs broke up in 1969. Over the course of their career, The Fireballs also backed up other artists in the studio and released a string of their own albums as well including The Fireballs (1960), Here are the Fireballs (1961), Sugar Shack (1963), Lucky ‘Leven (1965), and Come On, React! (1969). Several members of The Fireballs reunited in 1989 and different variations of the band continued to perform live until 2022. Stan Lark died on August 4, 2021. Eric Budd died on October 7, 2022. Perhaps the best-known member of the group, Jimmy Gilmer died on September 7, 2024.
