Warren Lucas

Two weeks ago Australian rock and roll lost another icon with the passing of Warren Lucas original founding member of the legendary Australian singing group The Delltones aged 80. Warren was one of the original founding members when the group was formed in 1958 which it was he who came up with the name and prior to that he sang with an group called the Sapphires an Sydney group. he was on many of the group's hits in the 50's and 60's with Gee, Every Little Thing That I Do, Yes Indeed, You're The Limit, Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands, Come A Little Bit Closer and Hangin Five etc and sang back up on other people's recordings including Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Rebb and the Rebels, Lonnie Lee, Slim Dusty, Reg Lindsay and others. They were on the bill of the Lee Gordon Tours including the Everly Brothers tour May-June 1959, Fabian October 1959,Tommy Sands, Lloyd Price, Conway Twitty and others as well as working with max Bygraves in the mid 60's and did appearances on TV shows like Bandstand hosted by Brian Henderson on Channel 9, Six O'clock Rock hosted by Johnny O'Keefe on the ABC, The Johnny O'Keefe Show, Sing Sing Sing (both on Channel 7), The Bobby Limb Show and others. Their original lead singer Noel Widerberg was killed in an tragic car accident July 7th 1962 and it was Warren who persuaded the others that Col Loughnan who was from an well known vocal group the Crescents who had an top hit in 1959 with Mr Blue was the natural replacement for Noel and he joined them which he was to be with them until 1967 when he left to play reeds and was in groups the Daly Wilson Band and Ayres Rock and also if you hear Hangin Five and Come A Little Bit Closer that Col's lead vocals. The group performed in Vietnam and then in 1966 Warren left the group which he went to perform with the Ambassadors. His passing is an great loss to Australian music and to his family and may the great music he made with the Delltones will live on forever which those songs sounds as good today as it did back then which you will never get tired of these songs because they are timeless with those great harmonies as well as Pee Wee's bass vocals as well as the great singing by Noel and Col. It's amazing to believe that the Delltones had their very first hit 60 years ago this year and they should be considered an induction into the ARIA Hall Of Fame for the impact that they done on Australian music practically in those early days of rock. Thank You For the Legacy Warren Lucas and it will live on forever.